Netanyahu invokes Iranian nuclear threat to push Eisenkot toward unity government

Interim Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on his rival Gadi Eisenkot to negotiate a unity government “without preconditions,” claiming that Iran is once again working to revive its nuclear program. Eisenkot responded that the appeal was “a new media disinformation operation.”

Interim Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that “the Iranian regime seeking to destroy Israel is once again working to revive its nuclear program” and called on Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming the government, to sit down with him “without preconditions” to form a national unity government.

Netanyahu made the remarks Saturday evening in a video published after a meeting held to discuss the possibility of launching new attacks on Iran, Anadolu Agency reported. He claimed that Tehran “will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against us” if it manages to resume uranium enrichment and accelerate the development of nuclear weapons.

In the video, Netanyahu says Israel “must do everything” to continue preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, “as we did in Operation Rising Lion and Operation Lion’s Roar,” adding: “We must remove this existential threat from over our heads once and for all.” He then addressed Eisenkot by name, saying: “Gadi, I appeal to you. Instead of trying to form a shaky and dangerous government, let us enter the room without preconditions and set aside all differences and every form of boycott.”

Netanyahu argued that a government relying on the support of Arab parties “cannot confront the Iranian threat,” whereas a unity government “will permanently remove the Iranian threat and expand the circle of peace.” This time, unlike in previous remarks, he did not require himself to serve as prime minister, Anadolu Agency reported.

Eisenkot: “These tricks will not work on me”

Eisenkot’s response came quickly. He described Netanyahu’s appeal as “a new media disinformation operation.” In a statement, he said Netanyahu “is dividing society and inciting as if there were no tomorrow” despite claiming to seek unity, adding: “Good try, but these tricks will not work on me, and they will not work on the citizens of Israel.”

Eisenkot said the negotiating delegations of Yashar and Likud already had a meeting scheduled, stressing that Likud could join the coalition he forms only if it “adopts the principles he put forward and cuts ties with the extremists,” referring to Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister in the interim government. He also called on Likud and the Religious Zionism Party to support the election of lawmaker Matan Kahana as speaker of the Knesset if they were serious about seeking a partnership.

The Israeli Knesset building in Jerusalem

Race against the mandate deadline

Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats in the October 27 election, compared with 48 seats for the Jewish opposition parties and 19 for the Arab parties. On November 8, Israeli President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming a government within 28 days, with the period extendable once by 14 days. Winning a vote of confidence requires the support of at least 61 lawmakers.

Netanyahu’s remarks came days after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the “mission” against Iran “has not yet been completed,” while Tehran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Video: Office of the Israeli Prime Minister. Cover photo: Anadolu Agency. Knesset photo: Wikimedia Commons

Netanyahu invokes Iranian nuclear threat to push Eisenkot toward unity government