Netanyahu calls for broad national gov’t without Arab parties, insists on remaining PM

“The public in Israel does not want a government that depends on parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed forming a “broad national government” Monday night, saying he should remain prime minister and the ultra-Orthodox Shas party should be included, while rejecting any inclusion of Arab parties.

The proposal marks a change from Netanyahu’s position immediately following last week’s election, when he called for “a strong, national, right-wing coalition.”

“The public in Israel does not want a government that depends on Ra’am and the Joint List—parties that support terrorism and reject the existence of the Jewish state,” Netanyahu wrote Monday.

Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman announced his support for Eisenkot on Monday, joining Naftali Bennett of B’Yachad (Together) and The Democrats leader Yair Golan, who endorsed him Sunday.

Liberman, however, maintained that he would not participate in a government that included the Arab parties.

Party leaders are scheduled to meet President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday to present their nominations. Herzog has publicly supported forming a unity government comprising Netanyahu and opposition parties.

Coalition whip Likud MK Ofir Katz Monday ruled out a rotation agreement.

Netanyahu’s announcement also followed a decision by Central Election Committee chair Justice Noam Sohlberg rejecting his request to halt certification of the election results over fraud allegations.

Earlier Monday, Likud lawyer and CEC member Ilan Bombach wrote to Sohlberg citing “serious suspicions of foreign interference.”

Sohlberg responded that delaying certification was outside the committee’s powers.

“The Central Election Committee has no authority to withhold the certification of the results, nor does the committee have the authority to intervene in an ongoing investigation,” Sohlberg wrote.