Netanyahu calls for Israeli unity government, Eisenkot dismisses 'tricks'
Israel’s caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, who in turn dismissed the appeal as a ruse. The latest exchange comes as Eisenkot is in the midst of negotiations to form a government, after he was tapped for the post of premier last Sunday. A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday “only strengthened…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his demand for a national unity government on Saturday, while his opponent Gadi Eisenkot dismissed the proposal as a ploy. Netanyahu claimed that such a government could eliminate the Iranian threat and address security challenges, particularly Iran's nuclear ambitions. He urged Eisenkot to meet with him without preconditions to put aside disagreements and reach agreements for the state's security and future.
Eisenkot responded by accusing Netanyahu of playing "tricks" by appealing for unity while negotiations were already underway and by sowing division and tensions. The former army chief emphasized that Netanyahu's proposal for a unity government, which would be made up of key Jewish parties while excluding Arab parties, is unlikely to materialize.
Eisenkot reiterated his demand for a "break with the extremists" and insisted that any government under his leadership must be formed without Netanyahu. The opposition also nominated a new speaker of the Knesset, Matan Kahana, as a condition for their participation in any government under Eisenkot's leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
