Netanyahu renews call for unity government after election defeat; Eisenkot rejects it: “These tricks don’t work on me

Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with negotiating the formation of a new government, has rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to form a national unity government. Eisenkot described the acting prime minister’s call as a political maneuver. He has 28 days to conclude negotiations, with the option of extending the deadline by another 14 days.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said Thursday’s meeting with Eisenkot had strengthened his conviction that a unity government was needed, which, he said, would guarantee Israel’s security.

He argued that such a government could withstand security challenges, particularly the threat from Iran, which he described as a serious danger to the country. “Let’s meet in one room, without preconditions, set aside all our disagreements and boycotts, and reach an agreement on the security and future of the state,” Netanyahu said.

Eisenkot responded by accusing the acting prime minister of using the rhetoric of unity for political purposes, as talks on forming a new government continue. “Netanyahu knows he lost the election. He is calling for negotiations while they are already underway; he claims he wants unity, but sows division and stokes tensions as if there were no tomorrow,” he said.

“These tricks don’t work on me,” Eisenkot added, publicly opposing the initiative.

Among the issues that have caused friction between the two politicians is the possibility of a minority government, backed by Eisenkot’s bloc and approved through the abstention of several other parties in the Israeli parliament.

Netanyahu has warned that such a government would be weak and would put the country’s security at risk.