Berkovich and Segal Clash on Unity Government, Netanyahu's Role

Radio personalities Eyal Berkovich and Erel Segal have found rare common ground, advocating for a unity government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite Berkovich's strong criticism of the premier. Berkovich, who called Netanyahu "the greatest destroyer of the State of Israel," proposed a power-sharing arrangement where Netanyahu would lead with his Likud party and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism, totaling 33 seats. On the other side, Gadi Eisenkot's National Unity party would have 21 seats, and Naftali Bennett's party would have 12, also totaling 33 seats.

Berkovich vehemently opposed including the ultra-Orthodox party United Torah Judaism in any coalition, labeling it "hypocrisy" and stating that "after October 7, we need a government of servants." He also rejected the inclusion of far-right parties like Otzma Yehudit and the Democrats, fearing they would cause "chaos." Berkovich suggested Netanyahu could lead for a full four-year term without a rotation agreement, expressing doubt that Netanyahu would agree to such a proposal.

Further criticizing the "change bloc," Berkovich stated that he would have personally approached Netanyahu to negotiate, believing the Prime Minister would refuse any deal. He reiterated his personal opposition to Netanyahu, calling him a "disaster," but acknowledged the public's mandate after the election results. Berkovich urged Netanyahu to act as the "responsible adult," set aside his ego, and contact Eisenkot to discuss the formation of a government that does not pursue a judicial overhaul, as he believes the public does not want one.

Segal framed the situation as a choice between "unity or more elections." Berkovich also considered a coalition based on the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu parties, which together hold 48 seats, noting that an additional 13 seats would be needed to form a majority.