Netanyahu Calls For "Unity Government", Eisenkot Says He's "Playing Tricks"
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.
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.
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