Israel’s caretaker Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has again called for the creation of a national unity government with his political rival Gadi Eisenkot, but the proposal has been rejected by the latter. Eisenkot described the initiative as a political maneuver, at a time when he is conducting negotiations to form a new government after receiving the mandate for this process. He has 28 days to reach an agreement, with the possibility of an extension of another 14 days.
In a video message, Netanyahu stated that Thursday’s meeting with Eisenkot had reinforced his conviction about the need to create a joint government. According to him, uniting political forces is essential to guarantee Israel’s security and confront the challenges facing the country, especially the threat that, according to him, comes from Iran.
“Let us sit in a room, without setting preconditions, leave disputes and boycotts behind, and find an agreement on the security and future of the state,” Netanyahu said.
However, Eisenkot did not accept the offer, accusing the caretaker prime minister of using national unity rhetoric for political interests, while the negotiation process for the new government is already underway.
“Netanyahu knows he lost the elections. He seeks negotiations while they are underway, and talks about unity, but at the same time stokes division and tension,” Eisenkot said.
He also stressed that such tactics do not affect him, responding directly to Netanyahu’s call.
The clashes between them also relate to the possibility of forming a minority government. This option envisages support from Eisenkot’s bloc, while some other parties in parliament would abstain during the vote on its approval.
On the other hand, Netanyahu has opposed this scenario, warning that such a government would be fragile and pose a risk to Israel’s security.