Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his Likud party should lead a future national unity government after winning the most votes in the elections for the 26th Knesset. The vote was held on October 27, and the final results gave Likud 27 seats in the 120-member parliament.
“A national unity government is an urgent necessity. Naturally, such a government should be led by the largest party,” Netanyahu said in a video message. He was referring to Likud, which remained the largest single political force but failed to secure a majority for his previous bloc.
According to the prime minister, the future cabinet should include “all parties from the national camp, including the ultra-Orthodox parties and all Zionist parties.” In his message, Netanyahu did not mention the possibility of a rotation agreement under which the prime minister’s post would be shared by two political leaders.
No bloc has 61 lawmakers
Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, while the opposition bloc, led by Yashar, the party of former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, won 48. The Arab parties hold a total of 19 seats. At least 61 votes in the Knesset are needed to form a government.
The result thus left Likud leading among the individual parties but did not give Netanyahu sufficient parliamentary support. His proposal for a broad coalition government is aimed at Zionist parties outside his current camp, while retaining the participation of his ultra-Orthodox and nationalist allies.
Eisenkot tasked with forming a government
On November 8, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government. According to the presidency, representatives of parties with a total of 67 elected lawmakers recommended Eisenkot, while Netanyahu received the support of formations holding a total of 46 seats.
Eisenkot has up to six weeks to reach a coalition agreement and present a cabinet for approval by the Knesset. The possibilities include a government involving some of the religious parties or a broader agreement with Likud. For now, however, no final agreement has been reached on the composition and leadership of the future cabinet.
Netanyahu’s call raises the question of whether the parties that removed him from the leadership position during the presidential consultations would agree to join a government led by him. Likud’s position is that the party should lead the cabinet as the largest political force, while Eisenkot already has the first opportunity to assemble a parliamentary majority.
Sources: apnews.com, jpost.com, axios.com