Netanyahu says only unity government can guarantee Israel’s security

Israel’s caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, as well as his vow to eliminate the threat from Iran. A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday “only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government” to guarantee Israel’s security, Netanyahu said in a video statement, adding that such a government could “eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all”.

He said this government would be made up of parties that recognise Israel “as a state for the Jewish people”. It would address security challenges, he added, most notably Iran which he claimed would “not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against us”. With backing from 67 lawmakers following last month’s election, Eisenkot was tapped on Sunday to form a new government within 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension.

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. Netanyahu’s proposed unity government would be made up of key Jewish parties ranging from the centre to the right, while excluding the Arab parties. Eisenkot has indicated he would be open to forming a government with members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, as well as outgoing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, provided their commitment to unity is “sincere”.

But a unity government with Netanyahu himself remains unlikely, particularly after Eisenkot denounced his “racist” campaign against Arab parties on Friday.