The incumbent Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has again defended the creation of a "unity government" that he considers a "vital necessity" for Israel, with himself at the head of the executive, despite the fact that President Isaac Herzog has tasked his rival Gadi Eisenkot with forming the cabinet.
In a video released this Monday, Netanyahu warned that "You can’t form a government with Hamas sympathizers. You can’t fight Iran or its proxies if you rely on radical Islam sympathizers."
The leader called for overcoming political vetoes by stating that "Enough with the boycott. We have to join forces to face the enormous challenges we have ahead of us. Let’s talk about it and, with God’s help, let’s do what has to be done: a unity government."
Netanyahu also emphasized that "I rule out no one and no one should rule out others," taking for granted that his current far-right allies will remain in power, including the Religious Zionism Party, Otzma Yehudit, and the ultra-Orthodox parties.
The Likud leader argues that it must be his party that leads the future executive because it was the most voted list in the elections of October 27 past. However, after the round of consultations, Herzog chose to transfer the mandate to Eisenkot, after 67 of the 120 members of the Knesset "recommended to President Herzog that the leader of Yashar Gadi Eisenkot be given the task of forming a government," as highlighted by the Israeli Presidency.
Another 46 parliamentarians requested that the task fall to the outgoing prime minister, Netanyahu, while a block of seven deputies decided not to support any candidate.
Eisenkot received the mandate formally on Sunday and since then has 28 days to try to close a government coalition, a period that the president can extend by another 14 days, according to what is provided in the Basic Law, considered the Constitution of Israel.