Israeli opposition agrees to form Government under Eisenkot conditions

Othe leaders of the parties that are part of the Israeli opposition have gathered today in a hotel in Herzliya, in central Israel, to discuss, for the first time since the elections on 27 October, a joint strategy to form an executive.

“ Party leaders agree on the need to form a Zionist government based on the four principles established by [Gadi] Eisenkot”, says a joint statement of political forces, released by Yashar! (“Onward!”), party of the former general and leader of the opposition bloc who intends to remove from the Government the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu

Eisenkot established four principles to integrate his coalition: to recognize Israel as a Jewish, democratic, liberal and egalitarian state, to commit to the values of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, to demand that all citizens comply with military, national or civil service and to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, “whose military and governance capabilities in the Gaza Strip must be destroyed”.

These principles also apply to Arab parties, whose support may be the main instrument of the opposition to achieve a parliamentary majority.

The meeting was attended by Eisenkot, leader of the coalition, Naphtali Bennett, who leads the Beyajad along with Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman, of the Israel Beitenu party (“Israel, Our House”), and Yair Golan, of the progressive Democratic party.

In addition, all opposition parties reaffirmed, during the meeting, the intention to propose Eisenkot as a candidate for government formation to the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who begins consultations with the parties on Wednesday.

“What we need to do now is to form a government, because what has happened in recent days only reminds us that we must move Netanyahu and his people away from the official residence of the Prime Minister,” Lapid said on arrival at the Dan Accadia hotel.

The politician stressed that the Central Electoral Commission of Israel considered the elections of 27 October valid and that they reflect the will of the population, after the Likud party of Netanyahu tried to undermine its legitimacy, claiming that the high participation of the Arab population – mostly Palestinians with Israeli citizenship – resulted from foreign interference.

“ The entire Beyajad party will mobilize with all its strength to help Gadi Eisenkot form a government as soon as possible,” Bennett said at the end of the meeting.

At the exit of the Dan Accadia hotel, politicians were awaited by family members of the hostages taken to the Gaza Strip following the attacks led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which urged political representatives to agree on a method of forming an executive.

“ Whoever has been ahead of the management of the events of October 7th cannot be part of the future government of this country. [...] There is no government of unity with the same people, the same ministers and the same prime minister, who has blood on his hands,” said present journalists Michael Illouz, father of Guy Illouz, a 26-year-old hostage who died in Gaza.

The meeting takes place at a time when the bloc formed by the parties of the assembled leaders has 48 seats in Parliament, far below the 61 necessary to reach the parliamentary majority and form government.

The Arab parties have 19 seats, but most opposition members have been reluctant to accept their support, while Lieberman categorically rejects it. Only Golan has defended since the elections an alliance with these Palestinian political forces.

The leader of the Democrats met today with leaders of the Arab left-wing formation Joint List to discuss coordination between their respective political forces.

“ We are moving in full swing”, wrote the party on social networks, in a publication accompanied by a photograph of Golan with politicians Yusef Jabareen and Ahmad Tibi.

If the opposition does not use the support of the Arab parties to form government, it will have to negotiate with the ultra-Orthodox or far-right parties that supported Netanyahu during the parliamentary term that is now ending in order to achieve the necessary parliamentary majority.