Netanyahu Calls for Unity as President Prepares Mandate

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke with his previous messaging on Saturday by explicitly demanding a national unity government. This marks the first time he has used that specific term since the recent elections. He told the public that the current crisis requires collective action to align with the will of the people.

The leader argued that a coalition relying on parties perceived as supporting terrorism would struggle to fight those threats. He warned that Israel would not survive under a government formed by the opposition in alliance with Islamist parties. Netanyahu described such a setup as a force that would destroy the country from within.

The Prime Minister accused opposition leaders of preparing to establish a government with the backing of Arab parties. He alleged these partners support Hamas and seek to undermine the existence of the state. Netanyahu cautioned that these figures intended to hastily swear in a new administration as early as the coming week. He claimed this new government would include members who strive to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a Palestinian state on its ruins.

He outlined specific vulnerabilities of a potential opposition-led government in a series of pointed statements. A government dependent on supporters of terror would not fight terror, he asserted. One reliant on those he described as haters of Judaism would fail to preserve Israel as a Jewish state. Furthermore, he claimed that dependence on radical Islam would hinder the fight against radical Islamic forces and prevent the removal of the existential threat from Iran.

Netanyahu also noted the disconnect between a potential opposition coalition and the military efforts on the ground. He stated that a third of the members in that proposed coalition called Israel Defense Forces soldiers war criminals. He added that these lawmakers praised figures associated with Hezbollah and the Nukhba. He argued this would leave soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon without proper political support during critical times.

The Prime Minister drew comparisons to civil unrest in Europe. He warned that a government relying on Islamist parties would tear down Israel from within. He suggested the intensity of the resulting turmoil would far exceed the violent protests seen in cities like Paris and Brussels. He described the potential scenes in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa as a reality that must be stopped, stating that the soul of the nation is at stake.

Concluding his address, Netanyahu presented a binary choice between national suicide and national unity. He called for the establishment of a government that includes all parties of the national camp and all Zionist parties committed to preserving the state. President Isaac Herzog is expected to make the final decision on who will receive the mandate to form the next government on Sunday. During preliminary consultations with Knesset factions, 67 lawmakers recommended Gadi Eisenkot for the task, while 46 recommended Netanyahu.