Netanyahu seeks unity government as opposition pursues a majority
Benjamin Netanyahu is urging rivals to join a government under his leadership as Gadi Eisenkot seeks coalition partners and a new parliament raises pressure for scrutiny of October 7.
By Hassan Ellis ·
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appealed for a unity government after the opposition bloc narrowly outperformed his ruling coalition in October’s election. His calls for cooperation follow a bitter campaign marked by personal attacks, as former military chief Gadi Eisenkot works to assemble a parliamentary majority.
President Isaac Herzog assigned Eisenkot the task of forming a government on Saturday. That same day, Netanyahu released a social media video warning of civil war if a government took office with support from Arab parties, which he accused of seeking to “eliminate the State of Israel”. On Monday, he urged opposition leaders to join an administration led by him that would also include ultra-Orthodox parties and his far-right allies Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Coalition negotiations have brought renewed attention to the ultra-Orthodox parties, traditional Netanyahu partners whose support has been tied to protections from military conscription for young male religious students. Those protections have continued in defiance of a June 2024 court ruling. At least one of the parties is understood to be discussing a possible agreement with Eisenkot.
United Torah Judaism, which declined to endorse Netanyahu to form the next government, may support Eisenkot instead. Opposition figure Avigdor Lieberman’s objections to such an arrangement are reportedly easing as he weighs alternatives, including cooperation with an Arab party, continued Netanyahu rule or another election. Mitchell Barak, a pollster and former Netanyahu aide, said United Torah Judaism’s participation would give Eisenkot 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, leaving Netanyahu negotiating from a weakened position.
Losing office would also reduce Netanyahu’s influence over matters affecting his political legacy and personal freedom. He is standing trial on multiple corruption charges, which he denies. Another central issue is scrutiny of his government’s alleged failures before the Hamas-led attack on October 7 and its conduct during the subsequent war in Gaza and attacks elsewhere in the region.
The new Knesset, sworn in on Tuesday, includes bereaved relatives, reservists and advocates for the approximately 250 Israelis taken captive during the attack. Eisenkot lost a son and two nephews in the ensuing conflict. Opposition priorities for the opening of parliamentary business include the installation of Matan Kahana, a member of Eisenkot’s Yashar party who supports a state inquiry into the government’s failures before October 7.
Political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said the presence of so many lawmakers personally connected to October 7 would intensify parliamentary tensions. He described a deeply politicised debate in which bereaved families on different sides draw opposing conclusions about military policy, while Netanyahu appears uncertain about how to respond.
Former government adviser Daniel Levy characterised the coalition bargaining as a contest for leverage. He said opposition leaders had little appetite for a unity government with Netanyahu and suggested a security emergency was the only realistic circumstance that could change their position.
