Can Netanyahu and Eisenkot form a ‘unity’ government in Israel?
Israel’s caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his appeal for a national unity government with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, arguing that such a coalition is essential to eliminate the Iranian threat.
Netanyahu made the appeal in a video statement on Saturday, saying his meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday only strengthened the conviction that a national unity government is essential.
He claimed such a government could eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all and argued that Tehran would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Israel.
Nice try, but these tricks don’t work on me. Nor on Israel’s citizens.
Eisenkot, who was given the first shot to form Israel’s next government by President Isaac Herzog, called Netanyahu’s appeal a bluff but confirmed that Yashar and Likud are talking about a shared government.
The two men know each other well, having served together in Netanyahu’s war cabinet during the first eight months of the war in Gaza.
Eisenkot left the emergency government in June 2024, and analysts say the relationship between the two is marked by a deep crisis of trust.
Math behind the coalition
In the October 27 election, Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc secured 53 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, while Eisenkot’s four-party bloc won 48 seats.
Two Palestinian-led factions, the Joint List and Ra’am, won a record 19 seats between them, giving them a combined 67 seats with Eisenkot’s bloc.
Eisenkot’s bloc and the two Arab-led factions hold 67 seats combined, six more than needed for an outright majority.
Another possibility is a minority government backed by Ra’am’s eight lawmakers, which would give Eisenkot 56 votes against Netanyahu’s 53 if the Joint List abstained.
However, Yair Golan is open to working with the Palestinian-led factions, while Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman and Together leader Naftali Bennett have rejected a coalition with Palestinians.
This opposition restricts Eisenkot’s coalition options, but it does not automatically make a unity government with Netanyahu more likely.
Ultra-Orthodox demands
The other main option, which experts say is the most likely scenario, is the Eisenkot bloc going into a coalition with both ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s bloc, Shas and United Torah Judaism.
This move would take the Eisenkot bloc to 61 seats, a majority needed to govern.
Advisers from one faction of United Torah Judaism have reportedly sought a written commitment from all 48 lawmakers in Eisenkot’s bloc to pass a law exempting Jewish religious seminary students from military service.
Eisenkot and Lieberman are reportedly opposed to this compromise.
If talks with the ultra-Orthodox parties fail, Eisenkot could ask his allies to choose between accepting support from the Palestinian-led parties and leaving Netanyahu in office.
He could also propose a short-lived government whose immediate purpose would be to replace Netanyahu and prepare for another election.
Deadlines and obstacles
President Herzog has given Eisenkot until December 6 to form a government, with a possible extension of up to 14 days.
Eisenkot has left the door open to members of Netanyahu’s Likud Party and to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party, provided they back a government led by him.
If members of Likud and the Religious Zionist Party truly believe this is a time for unity, as they told the president, I cannot conceive of any reason why they would not support a government under my leadership.
An early test could come on Tuesday, when Eisenkot’s allies plan to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana of Likud with Yashar lawmaker Matan Kahana.
Eisenkot has challenged Netanyahu and Smotrich to back Kahana and allow the vote to go ahead as scheduled.
The question of who would serve as prime minister remains the central obstacle, as Eisenkot has so far rejected a rotation arrangement with Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is still in office as caretaker prime minister while negotiations continue, giving him an incentive to exploit divisions among Eisenkot’s potential partners.
Netanyahu could also use a security crisis to increase pressure for a national government, experts say.
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