Full coverage· Politics· Updated 7 Nov, 19:44

Netanyahu Calls for Unity Government Including All Zionist Parties

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the formation of a national unity government on Saturday, November 7, 2026, marking his first such appeal since the recent Knesset elections. In a video address, Netanyahu urged all Zionist and national camp parties to join together, framing national unity as the only alternative to what he termed national suicide. He warned that a government reliant on Islamists, Arab parties, or supporters of terror would dismantle Israel from within, fail to combat terrorism, and threaten the country's survival as a Jewish state.

10 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 7 Nov, 19:24

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Netanyahu Calls for Unity Government Including All Zionist Parties — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a national unity government on Saturday, November 7, 2026, marking his first such appeal since the elections.
02Netanyahu warned that a coalition reliant on Arab parties or Islamists would destroy Israel from within and fail to combat terrorism.
03The supporting bloc of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured only 53 mandates in the election, leaving him short of a majority.
04President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to grant Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form a government after Eisenkot received 67 recommendations.
05Gadi Eisenkot announced plans to form a minority government with National Unity, the Democrats, and Yisrael Beiteinu while inviting others to join.
06MK Gilad Kariv of the Democrats rejected Netanyahu's call, stating that the appeal for unity indicates the Prime Minister knows his bloc lost.
07Netanyahu's call to include all national camp parties in a unity government is understood to encompass the Otzma Yehudit party.

The opposition rejected the Prime Minister's appeal, with MK Gilad Kariv of the Democrats suggesting the move signals that Netanyahu's bloc has lost the election. Netanyahu's supporting parties secured only 53 mandates in the election, which is insufficient to form a coalition. Meanwhile, President Isaac Herzog is set to grant Gadi Eisenkot the mandate to form a government, after Eisenkot's bloc received recommendations from 67 Knesset members.

Eisenkot has announced plans to form a minority government consisting of the National Unity, Democrats, and Yisrael Beiteinu parties, while extending an invitation for other factions to join. Netanyahu's call for a unity government that includes all national camp parties is understood to encompass the Otzma Yehudit party, representing a shift from his previous terminology of a broad national government.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 5 newsrooms. Updated 7 Nov, 23:47