not everywhere· Politics· Updated 10 Nov, 19:21

Netanyahu Calls for Unity Government, Slams Arab MKs

During the swearing-in ceremony of the new Knesset on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the formation of a national unity government to confront existential threats. However, his address quickly devolved into chaos in the plenum as he launched sharp attacks against Arab lawmakers, accusing them of being terror supporters who hate Israel and refusing to designate the terrorist organization Hamas as such.

3 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 10 Nov, 18:35

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What happened

01Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for a national unity government during the new Knesset's swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday.
02Netanyahu sharply criticized Arab lawmakers, calling them terror supporters who hate Israel and accusing them of refusing to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
03The Prime Minister warned of existential threats from Iran and predicted international pressure to accept a nuclear Iran and relinquish achievements in Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria.
04Netanyahu specifically urged Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yachad party, to join a unity government to confront these challenges.
05The speech devolved into chaos as lawmakers including Naftali Bennett, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Gilad Kariv interrupted, while Yair Golan walked out in protest.
06Gadi Eisenkot rejected the address as divisive, called for an emergency government, and stated that Netanyahu is unfit for office.
07Yair Golan accused the Prime Minister of inciting against the Arab sector in order to maintain his grip on power.

The Prime Minister warned of the ongoing threat from Iran, stating that it persists in its plan to destroy Israel and resume its nuclear program. He asserted that the only way to eliminate this threat is to overthrow the Ayatollah regime, and warned of future international pressure to accept a nuclear Iran and relinquish Israeli achievements in Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu urged Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yachad party, to join him in a unity government to face these challenges.

Netanyahu's speech was met with protests and frequent interruptions from several lawmakers. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, walked out in protest, while his colleague Gilad Kariv was removed for shouting. Naftali Bennett, head of the Yamina party, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of Otzma Yehudit, also interrupted the speech, and Sara Netanyahu interjected into the exchanges. Opposition leaders strongly criticized the address, with Eisenkot calling it divisive and declaring Netanyahu unfit for office, while Golan accused him of inciting against the Arab sector to remain in power.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 00:16

Latest report: Haaretz English. Read Haaretz English’s original