Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his call for a national unity government with Gadi Eisenkot, but the opposition leader dismissed the appeal as a political maneuver and said any agreement would depend on Netanyahu accepting his conditions.

Netanyahu cites Iran threat

In a video statement on Saturday, Netanyahu said a meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday had strengthened his view that Israel urgently needed a broad-based government. He argued that such a government was the only way to protect the country for years to come, and said it should include all parties that recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people.

Netanyahu pointed to Iran as the central security challenge. He said the Iranian government was working to rebuild its nuclear weapons programme and would use a bomb against Israel. He also said two operations against Iran in the past year had removed the immediate danger, and vowed to eliminate the threat once and for all. Those were Netanyahu’s assertions.

He called for talks without preconditions on Israel’s security and future, including conscription. Netanyahu said the issue could be resolved with representatives of Haredi Jews, the ultra-Orthodox community. His proposed unity government would exclude Arab-Israeli parties, which he described as supporters of terrorism and said could not confront Iran.

Eisenkot sets conditions

The October 27 election produced no clear majority. Parties supporting Eisenkot hold 67 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, including 19 held by Arab parties. He has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension.

Eisenkot said Netanyahu’s appeal was a bluff, pointing out that negotiating teams from Likud and Yesh Atid had already scheduled a meeting for November 15. He said Netanyahu’s actions deepened divisions and diminished the Knesset’s standing. Eisenkot also accused the outgoing prime minister of trying to delay a new government by creating obstacles, including to the process of replacing the Knesset speaker.

Eisenkot has said he would welcome members of Likud and the Religious Zionism party if their desire for unity was sincere and he led the government. He has also said Netanyahu must accept his fundamental principles and break with political extremists. Eisenkot has ruled out serving in a government led by Netanyahu.

A vote to elect Matan Kahana as Knesset speaker is scheduled for Tuesday. The outcome of that vote and the November 15 party talks remain unknown.