Netanyahu, Eisenkot trade words over new Israeli government formation

On Saturday, Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned his rival, Gadi Eisenkot, against forming a "shaky" government. Netanyahu reiterated his push for a national unity government, urging the two major factions to converse without preconditions and set aside disagreements and boycotts. In a speech, Netanyahu warned against forming a "shaky and dangerous" government, emphasizing Iran's intentions to destroy Israel and its nuclear ambitions. He insisted that a unity government is necessary to permanently remove the Iranian threat.

In response, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of losing the elections but continuing to sow division and stoke tensions, as if there were no tomorrow. The Yesh Atid party leader questioned Netanyahu's calls for negotiations when they were already underway, stating that such tactics do not work on him. Eisenkot assured that a new and better government would be formed, noting the absolute majority against Netanyahu among Israeli citizens in the Knesset.

President Isaac Herzog appointed Eisenkot on November 7 to assemble a 61-seat majority coalition in the 120-member Knesset. With a 28-day window to form a government, and a potential 14-day extension, Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc won 48 seats, both falling short of the required 61-seat threshold for a governing majority. The remaining 19 seats were held by Arab-led parties.