Netanyahu urges unity government as Eisenkot rejects appeal

Israel's caretaker prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, renewed his appeal for a unity government on Saturday, November 14, but Gadi Eisenkot, who is leading government-formation negotiations, rejected it as political manoeuvring, France 24 reported.

Netanyahu said in a video statement that meeting Eisenkot on Thursday had reinforced his view that Israel's security required a unity administration. He opposed Eisenkot's proposed minority government and called for talks with no preconditions, according to France 24.

Eisenkot dismissed the approach, saying “these tricks don't work on me”. Anadolu Agency also reported his rejection of the appeal and said he had indicated that coalition negotiations were already scheduled for Sunday.

The disagreement extends to which parties could join a government. Netanyahu said his proposed coalition would include parties recognising Israel as the state of the Jewish people. France 24 described that condition as excluding Arab parties.

Eisenkot, meanwhile, expressed willingness to include members of Netanyahu's Likud and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism if their commitment to unity was genuine. He also demanded a break with those he described as extremists, singling out supporters of Itamar Ben Gvir, France 24 reported.

A minority-government scenario described by France 24 envisages 48 lawmakers backing Eisenkot and 46 Netanyahu supporters voting against him. Another 26 lawmakers, drawn from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties, could abstain. Those abstentions are a proposed route to approval, not a recorded vote or confirmed agreement.

Under that scenario, Eisenkot would have more votes for his government than against it without securing an absolute majority of the Knesset's 120 seats, the report said. The envisaged role for the abstaining parties would not amount to joining the government.

Eisenkot was given the task of forming a government on the preceding Sunday, with an initial deadline of 28 days and a possible two-week extension, according to France 24.

A vote for Knesset speaker was due on Tuesday, with the opposition proposing Matan Kahana to replace Amir Ohana. Eisenkot urged Likud and its allies to support Kahana as a demonstration of their willingness to enter a political partnership, France 24 reported.