Eisenkot rejects Netanyahu’s unity government call as ‘media stunt’

Eisenkot rejects the appeal

Israeli prime minister-designate Gadi Eisenkot on Saturday dismissed caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public appeal for unity government talks as a “media stunt,” minutes after Netanyahu urged him in a video statement to meet “without preconditions.” Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party and is tasked with forming the next government, said negotiating teams from his party and Netanyahu’s Likud were scheduled to meet Sunday.

In a statement on US social media platform X, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of calling for national unity while continuing to sow division and incite against political opponents, and he pointed to Netanyahu’s speech at the opening of the new Knesset as an example. Netanyahu “knows he lost the election,” the former army chief said, adding that “these tricks don’t work on me.”

Conditions and the Knesset speaker vote

Eisenkot said Likud could join a national emergency government under his leadership only if it accepted his stated principles and distanced itself from extremist political forces, notably supporters of far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He has indicated he would be open to a government with members of Likud, as well as outgoing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, provided their commitment to unity is “sincere.”

He also accused Netanyahu of attempting to obstruct the formation of a new government and of efforts to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Likud member. Tuesday’s vote on his candidate for the post, Matan Kahana, a former army officer who was fifth on Eisenkot’s list, would test whether Likud and the Religious Zionism party were serious about a political partnership, Eisenkot said. “If they (Likud and its allies) are truly seeking a sincere political partnership, as they claim, they must allow the democratic process to unfold normally... and instruct their members of parliament to support the appointment of Matan Kahana,” he said.

Netanyahu urges talks

Netanyahu said an important conversation with Eisenkot on Thursday “only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government” to guarantee Israel’s security. Such a government, he added, could “eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all,” and it would include all parties that recognise Israel “as a state for the Jewish people.” He argued that only a broad government could confront Iran, which he claimed was seeking to revive its nuclear program, and urged political leaders to set aside their disputes and reach agreements on security and military conscription.

The appeal came four days after Netanyahu attacked Eisenkot’s bloc in the Knesset, accusing it of seeking a fragile and dangerous government dependent on Arab parties, which he described as “supporters of terrorism” and “haters of Israel.” Eisenkot condemned the speech as hateful. Netanyahu also warned against Eisenkot’s plan for a minority government, presented as a “national emergency government,” under which the 48 lawmakers in Eisenkot’s bloc would vote for it against the 46 Netanyahu backers, while the 26 other members from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties could abstain in the 120-seat Knesset.

Government formation efforts

Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally tasked Eisenkot with forming a government on Nov. 8 after he secured recommendations from 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members, while Netanyahu received recommendations from 46 lawmakers. Negotiations are expected to be difficult, especially as Netanyahu has waged a campaign to discredit Arab-Israeli parties, which gained a record number of seats in the election.

Eisenkot has an initial 28 days to form a government, with the possibility of a 14-day extension.