Netanyahu renews call for unity government he would lead as Eisenkot holds mandate

Netanyahu renews his call to lead a unity government

Israel's outgoing prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, 9 November, repeated his call for a national unity government headed by himself, despite President Isaac Herzog's decision to hand the mandate to form a government to opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. In a video message posted to Instagram, Netanyahu argued that the largest party should lead any such coalition and pointed to the 250,000 extra votes Likud won over Eisenkot's Yashar party in the 27 October election. Reports also say he made a similar request on Saturday, 7 November, before Herzog announced the mandate, which makes Monday's appeal his second in two days.

Netanyahu framed the argument as a single question put to his audience.

“Who should lead such a government? Of course, the party that should lead is the largest party.”

Herzog's mandate and the 28-day window

Herzog gave Eisenkot the mandate on Sunday, 8 November, and reports say Eisenkot has the support of 67 members of Knesset. He has 28 days to complete the process, with the option of a 14-day extension. Netanyahu described a unity government as a vital necessity and said it should include the Likud, the ultranationalist Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit factions, the ultra-Orthodox parties and all other Zionist parties. He added that he is ready to begin talks immediately with any party willing to discuss his proposal, and he said that Israel must face the challenges ahead together.

“We must unite our forces against the challenges ahead.”

Reports note that Netanyahu made the same argument before the 27 October election and again right after it, although on those occasions he called the proposed government a broad national government. The repetition shows that his position has not shifted since the vote.

Arab parties and the Hamas argument

Netanyahu ruled out any coalition that depends on the two Arab parties, which together hold 19 seats in the Knesset. He argued that a coalition of that kind could not effectively confront Iran or radical Islam. Reports say he framed the point in a sharp formulation.

“It is impossible to form a government that will depend on Hamas supporters.”

Avigdor Lieberman's nationalist party, which holds 7 seats, rejects any coalition based on Arab parties, even though their support would give Eisenkot a comfortable majority. Eisenkot's bloc shares the goal of removing Netanyahu from power but disagrees sharply over how to achieve it. That split is the central obstacle to the negotiations.

A minority government on the table

A minority government is also being discussed as an alternative. In that scenario Eisenkot would rely on 48 members of Knesset, against 46 aligned with Netanyahu, while the remaining 26 members from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties would abstain in the confidence vote. Lieberman opposes this option as well, and other senior figures in the opposition bloc have expressed serious reservations about it.

Eisenkot-backed bloc48

Netanyahu-aligned bloc46

Abstaining Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties26

Eisenkot-backed bloc

48 seats

Netanyahu-aligned bloc

46 seats

Abstaining Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties

26 seats

Data from the article text

What remains open

Eisenkot must now decide whether to pursue a broad coalition or a minority arrangement, and his partners do not agree on the composition of either. Lieberman's opposition narrows the options for any government that avoids the Arab parties. The clock is running under the 28-day deadline, which can be extended by 14 days.