TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly exploring the formation of a unity government with his political rival, Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot, following an inconclusive general election. According to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, the prospective arrangement would see US President Donald Trump and Israeli President Isaac Herzog act as formal guarantors for the coalition.
The development was disclosed by Dimona Mayor Benny Biton, a close confidant of the Prime Minister, who stated on Sunday morning, “I am speaking on the basis of a direct source: Benjamin Netanyahu wants unity… I assure you with absolute certainty: this is neither deception nor an election manoeuvre.”
With neither major political bloc securing a decisive majority to establish a government in last Tuesday’s legislative elections, growing political complexity has forced leaders to weigh the possibility of a cross-bloc unity administration despite inherent challenges.
Previous reports indicated that President Trump favors the creation of a new unity government while explicitly excluding far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
A Likud official confirmed ongoing high-level discussions, noting, “I spoke yesterday with the President of the State of Israel. There will be two guarantors of this agreement: Herzog and the president of the United States, who will act as guarantors for Mr. Gadi Eisenkot.” Although Trump and Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Saturday—widely linked by Hebrew media to regional security preparations regarding Iran—precise details of the call remain undisclosed.
Ahead of official coalition consultations commencing Wednesday, President Herzog urged political factions on Sunday to abandon intransigence and explore creative compromises to prevent the country from being dragged into a fresh round of elections.
While Biton acknowledged he could not confirm whether the unity framework was explicitly addressed during Netanyahu and Trump’s call, he expressed full confidence in the leadership: “Personally, I trust the President of the State of Israel to guarantee this matter. And if you do not trust the President of the State of Israel, I also trust the President of the United States.”
Calling on opposition figures—including Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett—to set aside personal egos, Biton urged them to enter negotiations immediately, stating, “The election campaign is over; come together, sit at the table and reach an agreement.”
Simultaneously, Biton issued a stern warning against unilateral parliamentary maneuvers by the opposition, describing any attempt to replace the Knesset speaker without a broad consensus as a “declaration of war.” He cautioned that without a national unity framework, the political system faces inevitable collapse into snap elections, asserting that any government formed without the Likud party would be unsustainable and unlikely to survive beyond six months.
Alternative avenues for the opposition—such as relying on the legislative backing of Arab parties—remain improbable due to deep-seated resistance from influential opposition blocs against depending on Arab votes. Consequently, senior officials from the Joint List and Ra’am are reportedly poised to recommend Gadi Eisenkot to President Herzog during Wednesday’s consultations as their preferred candidate to form the government, according to Walla news.
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