Netanyahu asks Eisenkot to hand Likud a seat in unity government

Netanyahu made the pitch on Saturday, telling Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot that the new coalition should take in Likud and any other faction willing to back the country's Jewish character. In his words, the government should include all parties that support the existence of Israel as the state of the Jewish people. The offer lands days after voters handed Netanyahu's ruling coalition a set of losses in October's election.

President Isaac Herzog has already handed Eisenkot the mandate to put a government together. That makes Netanyahu's public appeal a direct play for a seat at a table he no longer controls. Eisenkot has spent the interim period warning about exactly this kind of maneuver.

The two men met for a political-security briefing in Jerusalem, joined by the prime minister's military secretary, Maj. Gen. Guy Markizano. Before that sit-down, Eisenkot had written to Netanyahu urging him to exercise restraint and refrain from dangerous moves until a new government is sworn in. He also called for strict supervision of the interim government, arguing it could exploit the security situation for political gain amid reports Netanyahu is weighing operations against Iran.

Netanyahu used his Saturday statement to hammer the Iran line again, repeating his claim that Tehran is planning to build nuclear weapons and strike Israel. He said the country must remove this existential threat once and for all. Eisenkot fired back a day earlier, accusing Netanyahu of running a violent and racist campaign against Israel's Arab community. Earlier in the week, Netanyahu had accused the Arab parties of stealing the election and trying to destroy Israel.

On the campaign trail, Eisenkot has promised to move fast on what he calls a national emergency government, naming B'Yachad, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu as partners while leaving out the Haredi and Arab factions. He has also said he does not intend to end mandatory service for everyone and has vowed to finish the operation in Gaza.