Netanyahu calls for unity government, demands all coalition parties be included

Benjamin Netanyahu, the outgoing prime minister of Israel who is about to lose power, has called on opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to form a national unity government.

He said the unity government should be formed together with the coalition that is currently in government.

He also warned Eisenkot against forming an alliance with Arab parties. Netanyahu said Arabs support terrorism, and if a government is formed with them, Israel will cease to exist as a Jewish state.

Last night, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that he would give Gadi Eisenkot the task of forming the government. Shortly before that, Netanyahu issued a video message calling for a unity government.

Netanyahu has set a condition: if a unity government is formed, all the parties of his coalition must be included in it. That means far-right figures such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir would also have to be given places in government again.

However, he did not say in his video who would be the prime minister of the unity government.

The Times of Israel has reported that Netanyahu's tone has been changing since the election. Immediately after the election he spoke of forming a right-wing government. Then he spoke of a large national government. Now he has called for a national unity government.

Netanyahu has alleged that Gadi Eisenkot is trying to form a government in a hurry, which will not be good for Israel.

He said, "Someone wants to form a government in a hurry. Even within next week, with supporters of terrorism [the Arabs]. Those he is trying to form a government with want Israel's downfall. A government formed with supporters of Hamas will not fight Hamas. It will not protect the safety of Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon."

Netanyahu also alleged that if a government is formed with Arab support, a civil war will break out in Israel. He said the rioting that Islamists are carrying out in Europe would happen in Israel if a government is formed with Arab support, and claimed Israel's existence would not be preserved under such a government.

Calling for a unity government, Netanyahu said, "I am calling for a unity government in which all the parties of my right-wing coalition will be included."

However, Gadi Eisenkot has long said he will not form an alliance with Netanyahu under any circumstances.