Southern Mayors Urge Netanyahu and Eisenkot to Form Broad Unity Government

Following the near-complete counting of votes indicating a political stalemate, the mayors of Arad and Dimona are calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot to establish a broad unity government. Yair Maayan, Mayor of Arad, and Beni Biton, Mayor of Dimona, propose a government that would include parties from across the political spectrum to advance national issues through consensus.

Maayan has also urged other local authority heads from all parties to contact Netanyahu and Eisenkot and pressure them to form such a government. His proposal envisions a coalition encompassing Religious Zionism, the Together party, Yisrael Beiteinu, and the Haredi parties, including Shas, while excluding the political extremes from both the right and left. Biton's proposal also supports a unity government led by Netanyahu, including Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Naftali Bennett, emphasizing that Netanyahu would head the government.

A key issue Maayan wishes to advance in such a government is a consensual draft law. He advocates for a law that would obligate all Israeli citizens to perform military or national service, with an exemption solely for yeshiva students. This law, he suggests, should be formulated by consensus and be open to support from any party wishing to join the government. Maayan concluded by noting that based on the election results, other mayors are also organizing to call for unity.