Newly elected lawmakers in Israel were sworn in on the first working day of the new parliament, amid ongoing political disputes over the country’s future government. Caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again called for the creation of a national unity government, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party demanded an investigation into the security failures preceding the October 7, 2023 attack.
Netanyahu justified his appeal with a warning about Iran’s nuclear program and the expected international pressure on Israel. „In the very near future, we will face international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran and the continued existence of this terrorist regime that wants to destroy us,“ he said.
According to him, the international environment has changed following the U.S. midterm elections last week. Netanyahu continues to serve as caretaker prime minister while Israel’s political forces seek a formula for governing.
Eisenkot Calls for an Investigation into the Attack
That same day, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party proposed the immediate establishment of a commission to investigate the security failures that allowed Hamas to carry out the attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
The proposal is aimed at clarifying the actions and decisions preceding the attack, as well as the reasons why Israel’s security services failed to prevent it. Netanyahu has long opposed the creation of such a commission.
The call for an investigation once again raises the issue of political and institutional responsibility for the security failures. It comes at a time when Eisenkot’s party already has representation in the new parliament and is beginning to formulate its opposition platform.
The Dispute Also Encompasses Judicial Reform
Yashar announced that it would also propose repealing parts of the changes to the judicial system enacted by Netanyahu’s government. The judicial reform triggered some of the largest protests in Israel’s history and deepened the divide between the ruling coalition and the opposition.
Thus, the new parliament’s first tasks are linked not only to the formation of a government, but also to questions of security, responsibility for the October 7, 2023 attack, and the future of the judicial changes. Until a political agreement is reached, Netanyahu will continue to lead the country as caretaker prime minister.
Sources: bta.bg