Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is exploring ways to form a national unity government with opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot following the October 27 election.
asserted
Netanyahu → explore → election
Meanwhile, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman also appears to be distancing himself from the opposition bloc and favouring a unity arrangement, according to reports published in The Jerusalem Post and Maariv.
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Liberman → appear → Post
According to the report, sources close to Netanyahu are reportedly promoting a plan to bring Eisenkot into a government led by the Likud chief, despite Eisenkot's pledge not to serve under him.
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sources → accord → him
Meanwhile, N12 News reported on Wednesday that Liberman had cut off contact with Eisenkot and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, and had stopped answering calls from his opposition counterparts.
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Liberman → report → counterparts
The developments come as the Central Elections Committee continues to update the results.
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Committee → come → results
Its final report is not expected to be submitted to the president until next week.
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report → expect → week
Netanyahu's ability to form a government will depend on the final seat count and whether he can secure support beyond his existing bloc.
Netanyahu camp explores power-sharing deal
Netanyahu declared in his speech at the Jerusalem International Convention Center that "We must establish a strong national right-wing government."
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We → form → government
However, sources close to him began briefing reporters that same night on a possible unity government involving Eisenkot.
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sources → begin → Eisenkot
According to the sources, Likud officials believe Eisenkot has few viable alternatives.
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Eisenkot → accord → alternatives
They argue that the opposition bloc has exhausted its electoral potential, including among Israelis who travelled from abroad to vote.
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who → argue → Israelis
They also believe the high turnout in the Arab sector would be difficult to replicate in another election.
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turnout → believe → election
The officials say Israelis living abroad are unlikely to purchase expensive plane tickets to vote again just a few months later.
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Israelis → say → tickets
Sources close to Netanyahu claim that "Eisenkot will not survive another round and may even lose his position as head of the bloc."
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Eisenkot → claim → bloc
They believe Eisenkot could eventually agree to join a Netanyahu-led government despite his previous commitments.
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Eisenkot → believe → commitments
However, the reports do not indicate that Eisenkot has agreed to consider the proposal.
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Eisenkot → indicate → proposal
Two possible arrangements under discussion
The briefings from Netanyahu's circle have outlined different versions of a possible agreement.
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briefings → outline → agreement
Under one proposal, Netanyahu would offer Eisenkot the second half of the prime ministerial term under a rotation arrangement.
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Netanyahu → offer → arrangement
Likud officials say Netanyahu would remain in office until the end of US President Donald Trump's term, "finish the job in Iran", and lead regional peace initiatives before handing over the premiership to Eisenkot after about two years.
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Netanyahu → say → years
Under another version, Netanyahu would refuse to agree to a rotation and instead offer Eisenkot a senior ministerial portfolio.
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Netanyahu → refuse → portfolio
The proposed framework would initially bring together Netanyahu, Eisenkot, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, without the ultra-Orthodox parties.
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framework → propose → parties
According to Likud figures promoting the plan, the ultra-Orthodox parties want to resolve the military conscription issue.
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parties → accord → issue
However, their rabbis fear that public and political responsibility for legislation allowing ultra-Orthodox men to be drafted into the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would fall on them.
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men → fear → them
Under the proposal, the government would first pass the conscription law without the ultra-Orthodox parties participating in the coalition.
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parties → pass → coalition
Those parties could then join the government after the legislation is approved, expanding its support.
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legislation → join → support
Netanyahu's associates believe the arrangement could give Eisenkot a significant achievement on military conscription and persuade him to join the government.
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arrangement → believe → government
Opposition rejects prospect of Eisenkot joining Netanyahu
Eisenkot has previously pledged not to serve under Netanyahu, and political figures remain sceptical about the proposed arrangement.
Sources in the opposition bloc have categorically rejected the possibility of Eisenkot joining a Netanyahu-led government, describing such a move as "complete suicide, both morally and politically".
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Eisenkot → reject → suicide
Some political figures, including those on the Right, argue that joining Netanyahu at this stage could end Eisenkot's political career.
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joining → include → career
They also question whether pressure from President Isaac Herzog or Trump would change his position.
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pressure → question → position
They point to the precedent of Benny Gantz agreeing to a rotation arrangement with Netanyahu only after three rounds of elections, amid the coronavirus crisis and growing public frustration over political deadlock.
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Gantz → point → deadlock
The political climate has since changed, these figures argue.
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figures → change → ?
Opposition voters are reportedly more willing to lift the boycott of Arab parties than to accept a government with Netanyahu and his political partners.
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voters → lift → Netanyahu
They also question why Eisenkot would need to join the coalition if a security escalation with Iran occurred.
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escalation → question → Iran
He could instead follow Liberman's approach after October 7 and support the government from outside the coalition without formally joining it.
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He → follow → it
"As long as his voters oppose joining Netanyahu, Eisenkot will not go against their wishes," political sources estimate.
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sources → oppose → wishes
Liberman cuts contact with opposition leaders
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Liberman → cut → leaders
In a separate development, N12 News reported on Wednesday that Liberman had cut off contact with Eisenkot and Bennett and had not answered calls from opposition counterparts since the day after the election.
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Liberman → report → election
Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu party is currently projected to win seven Knesset seats, below pre-election polls that had suggested it could secure as many as nine.
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it → project → nine
According to N12, Liberman lost ground to Bennett, whose B'Yachad party absorbed some of his mandates.
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party → accord → mandates
His election strategy had also relied on Likud fracturing internally, but official results show the party retaining its position as the largest faction in the Knesset.
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party → rely → Knesset
Liberman had launched his campaign with the ambition of becoming prime minister, but fell short.
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Liberman → launch → ambition
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
