Netanyahu Calls for National Unity Government with Eisenkot, Excludes Arab Parties

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his call to form a national unity government in alliance with his rival Gadi Eisenkot, considering this option as the only way to guarantee Israel's security and to confront and definitively eliminate the Iranian threat, warning of the possibility of Tehran resorting to the use of nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu explained in a video statement that his meeting with Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming the new government following the legislative elections held on October 27, reinforced his conviction of the necessity of the current alliance. Eisenkot enjoys the backing of 67 lawmakers and has a legal deadline of 28 days, extendable by an additional 14 days, to finalize his coalition lineup amid results that did not yield a clear majority.

Exclusion of Arab Representation and Sharp Disagreements

The political negotiations are witnessing clear complications, particularly regarding the position of Arab parties in the Knesset, which hold 19 seats and represent significant leverage. Netanyahu proposes forming a government comprising only Zionist parties from the right and center, emphasizing the exclusion of Arab factions, which he labeled as "terror supporters" and deemed incapable of addressing the strategic challenges facing Israel as a state for the Jewish people.

Rotation Proposal and Eisenkot's Rejection

Netanyahu's vision includes the possibility of implementing a premiership rotation formula between himself and Eisenkot, modeled after previous experiences in Israeli political history. Although Eisenkot expressed readiness to include members of the Likud party and the far-right Religious Zionist Party led by Bezalel Smotrich provided genuine intentions for unity exist, he stressed that he must lead the government and categorically rejected serving under Netanyahu.

In a related context, Gadi Eisenkot condemned what he described as a "racist and hostile" campaign led by Netanyahu against the Arab minority in Israel, which makes up about 20% of the total population, placing additional obstacles before the prospects of reaching a joint political agreement between the two sides.