Netanyahu again urged a national unity government as he warned of threats from Iran, acknowledging an international shift following US elections last week.
Gadi Eisenkot, who is seeking to form Israel’s next government, on Tuesday declared that caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unfit to remain in office and called on lawmakers to establish an emergency government, warning that Netanyahu’s continued leadership endangered Israel’s security.
Eisenkot’s remarks came after Netanyahu used the opening session of the new parliament to call for a national unity government, citing the growing threat from Iran.
Reacting to Netanyahu’s speech, Eisenkot accused the caretaker prime minister of exploiting an important state occasion to deepen divisions in the country.
“I sat and listened to the outgoing prime minister’s delusional, divisive, hate-filled and shameful speech, exploiting a state occasion," Eisenkot said. “I am now even more convinced that he is unfit to remain in office for even one more minute."
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu had renewed his appeal for a national unity government, warning that Israel would soon face international pressure over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“In the very near future, we’re going to be confronted by international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran and the preservation of this terror regime that seeks to annihilate us," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has overseen two major bombing campaigns since last year, with US support.
Eisenkot Moves To Investigate October 7 Hamas Attack
Meanwhile, Eisenkot’s Yashar party, which gained influence in the new parliament sworn in on Tuesday, moved to establish a commission of inquiry into the failures that allowed Hamas to carry out its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
The proposed investigation is an issue that Netanyahu has long resisted.
Eisenkot’s party also announced plans for a sweeping repeal of Netanyahu’s controversial judicial overhaul, which had triggered some of the largest protests in Israel’s history.
Israel’s New Parliament Sets Stage For Political Showdown
Israel’s new parliament convened on Tuesday amid an intensifying political contest, with Eisenkot seeking to build a coalition government and challenge Netanyahu’s leadership.
Eisenkot, who leads a broad bloc spanning the political spectrum, is expected to have significant influence over the parliamentary agenda from the outset, with support from Israeli-Arab parties.
However, neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu commands a majority on their own, leaving the numbers in the new parliament crucial to determining who will lead the next government.
The political uncertainty comes as both leaders seek to shape Israel’s future government, with Netanyahu pushing for national unity while Eisenkot is seeking to build an alternative coalition.
