Netanyahu considering unity government with Eisenkot that would exclude ultra-Orthodox – report

The initiative comes as Israel faces a political deadlock following Tuesday’s Knesset election.

By World Israel News Staff

Confidants of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are exploring a proposal to establish a national unity government with Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, potentially offering the opposition leader a rotation agreement under which he would become prime minister after two years, according to a report published Thursday by Maariv.

The initiative comes as Israel faces a political deadlock following Tuesday’s Knesset election, with neither Netanyahu’s existing coalition nor the opposition parties securing the 61 seats necessary to form a government independently.

Under one proposal reportedly being considered, Netanyahu would remain prime minister for the first two years of the next government’s term before transferring the position to Eisenkot.

During that period, Netanyahu would seek to complete strategic initiatives concerning Iran and advance regional peace agreements before US President Donald Trump leaves office, according to sources familiar with the proposal.

Another possibility would involve abandoning the rotation arrangement and instead offering Eisenkot a senior ministerial portfolio in a government headed by Netanyahu.

A central component of the proposed arrangement concerns the participation of the ultra-Orthodox parties, whose demands for military draft exemptions have become one of the most contentious issues in Israeli politics.

According to Maariv, figures in Likud are considering a coalition initially comprising Netanyahu’s Likud, Eisenkot’s Yashar party, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist-Zehut party.

The proposed government would initially exclude Shas and United Torah Judaism, allowing Eisenkot to claim a political achievement on the issue of ultra-Orthodox military conscription.

The ultra-Orthodox parties could subsequently be invited to join the coalition after legislation addressing the conscription dispute is completed.

Based on the latest projected election results, such a four-party coalition would hold approximately 61 seats, providing a narrow parliamentary majority.

However, those promoting the initiative acknowledge that Eisenkot has given no indication that he would consider joining a Netanyahu-led government.

The Yashar chairman explicitly rejected such an arrangement just eight days before the election.

“I unequivocally commit that I will not serve under Netanyahu, not even in a rotation,” Eisenkot said during an October 21 radio interview.

“If that happens, record this, and I will resign an hour later,” he added.

Eisenkot reiterated his opposition to rotation agreements during subsequent campaign interviews, including one in which he rejected the possibility even if he were offered the first term as prime minister.

Netanyahu has also publicly dismissed the possibility of sharing the premiership.

In his election-night address early Wednesday, the prime minister declared that he would remain loyal to his existing political partners and invited other parties to join his government.

“Whoever wants to join is welcome — without rotation,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister reportedly reinforced that commitment in conversations with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich on Wednesday evening.

“We are together and we are staying together,” Netanyahu told the two ministers, according to Channel 14.

Those statements stand in contrast to the proposal reportedly being promoted by figures in Netanyahu’s political circle, leaving unclear whether the prime minister himself would ultimately authorize an offer involving a rotation.

According to the Maariv report, proponents of the initiative believe Eisenkot could eventually reconsider his opposition because of the difficulties facing the anti-Netanyahu bloc.

They argue that the opposition benefited from unusually high turnout among Arab voters and significant numbers of Israelis returning from abroad specifically to participate in the election.

Those circumstances, they contend, may prove difficult to reproduce in another election, potentially allowing Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc to improve its position if the country returns to the polls.

With approximately 98% of ballots counted early Thursday, projections continued to give Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, compared with 48 for the four Jewish-led opposition parties and 19 for the Joint List and Ra’am.

The results leave Eisenkot without a parliamentary majority unless he secures support from Arab parties or attracts partners from Netanyahu’s camp.

Despite the electoral arithmetic, Eisenkot has continued to insist that his objective is to replace the prime minister rather than join him.

“This is the will of the people, who expressed no confidence in the government of October 7 and draft evasion,” Eisenkot wrote Wednesday, referring to the outgoing government’s policies.

He added that his party remained focused on replacing the government and establishing a coalition committed to military conscription.

The possibility of a unity government has nevertheless gained attention as political leaders confront the prospect of another election.

President Isaac Herzog, who is expected to begin consultations with the parliamentary factions after receiving the official results, has urged politicians to approach the coalition negotiations flexibly.

“We must do everything possible, certainly after yesterday, not to return to another election,” Herzog said Wednesday.

“I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind.”