Knesset Unity Tent: Eitam Demands Compromise, Warns Against Minority Government

Member of Knesset Itamar Eitam visited the "unity tent" set up by the Member of Knesset outside the Knesset, calling for the formation of a unity government. In an interview with Arutz 7, Eitam cautioned against a minority government and further elections, emphasizing that compromises would be necessary from all sides and rejecting the idea of joining a government through "defectors." Eitam, who chairs the Religious Zionism party's faction, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity Party Chairman Gadi Eisenkot to begin negotiations for a unity government. He explained that the current political reality, where no bloc has achieved a decisive victory, necessitates a joint solution. Eitam stated that neither a minority government nor new elections are desirable outcomes, calling a minority government relying on "nationalist Arab parties" a disaster and new elections "very bad." He believes the public is calling for unity and cooperation. Referencing the tent's name, "Assembly Areas," Eitam drew a parallel to his and the Member of Knesset's shared combat experiences, suggesting they could cooperate politically as they did militarily. Regarding compromises, Eitam asserted that all parties must concede, stating, "Unity will have prices, there will be compromises, there will be concessions. People will have to come down from the trees and ladders they climbed." He called on Netanyahu and Eisenkot to meet and resolve differences, acknowledging that the tent itself might not be the venue for such talks. Responding to the claim that Netanyahu's call for unity stems from the right-wing bloc's lack of a majority, Eitam pointed out that the opposition bloc also lacks a decisive outcome. He stressed that the public is explicitly demanding unity and urged politicians to listen, lower defenses, distrust, and end boycotts. Eitam definitively ruled out joining a government led by Eisenkot without broad party consensus, stating, "No, that's not serious. There will be no stealing of defectors here." He insisted that negotiations must occur between Knesset representatives of the parties to reach agreements. Eitam invited the public to the tent for an evening gathering and expressed confidence that opposition MKs would also attend.