Netanyahu calls for Israeli unity government, Eisenkot dismisses 'tricks'

详细摘要

Israel's caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, who in turn dismissed the…

Israel's caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, who in turn dismissed the appeal as a ruse.

The latest exchange comes as Eisenkot is in the midst of negotiations to form a government, after he was tapped for the post of premier on Sunday.

A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday "only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government" to guarantee Israel's security, Netanyahu said in a video statement, adding that such a government could "eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all".

He said this government would be made up of parties that recognise Israel "as a state for the Jewish people".

It would address security challenges, he added, most notably Iran which he claimed would "not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against us".

The outgoing prime minister warned against Eisenkot's plan to form a minority government, presented as a "national emergency government".

Such a plan would see the 48 lawmakers in Eisenkot's bloc vote in favour of his government, against the 46 Netanyahu backers. The 26 other members of parliament, from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties, could abstain, allowing the government to be approved without an absolute majority in the Knesset, which has 120 seats.

"Instead of trying to form a weak and dangerous government... let's meet in one room, without preconditions, put aside all our disagreements and all the boycotts, and reach agreements for the security and the future of the state," Netanyahu urged.

Minutes later, Eisenkot responded by saying Netanyahu "knows he lost the election", accusing him of playing "tricks" by appealing for a unity government.

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