Weakened Netanyahu to Gantz: Let’s Form a Unity Government

By Staff, Agencies

The Right cannot form a coalition and there should be as a unity government, “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday morning, asking Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to meet.

“We have no choice but to form a broad unity government, as broad as possible, that is made up of all the elements that care for the 'Israel’,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu acknowledged that he promised a right-wing government during the election, but said that “unfortunately, the results of the election showed it is not possible. The public did not decide between the two blocs.”

The “Israeli” primer called on Gantz to meet with him as soon as possible to start the process of forming a coalition together. His office called Gantz’s aides to plan a one-on-one meeting on Thursday.

“The nation expects us, both of us, to show responsibility and act in cooperation,” he said. “We cannot and have no reason to go to a third election. I oppose it. A broad unity government is what is demanded of us today.”

Gantz or his office did not make a public statement, but throughout both election campaigns this year, the Blue and White leader said that he would not sit in a government with Netanyahu as long as the specter of an indictment on corruption charges remained over the prime minister’s head. Netanyahu is set to go to a pre-indictment hearing with Attorney-General Avihai Mandelbit on October 2-3.

Netanyahu’s statement came after his meeting with the leaders of religious right-wing parties Yamina, Shas and United Torah Judaism. On Wednesday, the parties agreed to negotiate as a bloc, which amounted to 56 seats as of Wednesday night’s yet-incomplete vote count.

New Right MK Naftali Bennett repeated the call, saying: “A national unity government must be established with Netanyahu at its head, in which everyone who believes in a Jewish and democratic Israel is invited. We do not count out the haredi, Lapid and certainly not Netanyahu.”