Jerusalem, 08 November (H.S.): Political manoeuvring over the formation of a new government has intensified in Israel. After losing his parliamentary majority in the election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the formation of a ‘national unity’ government. He urged opposition parties to join hands with all the partners of his outgoing coalition, while describing a government dependent on the support of Arab parties as a threat to the country's security.

Netanyahu alleged that Arab parties wanted to bring an end to Israel's existence and claimed that a government reliant on their support would be unable to take effective action against Hamas. He also expressed concerns over the safety of Israeli soldiers deployed in Gaza and Lebanon. Referring to recent violent demonstrations in Europe, he further warned of the possibility of a situation resembling civil war emerging in Israel.

Netanyahu's proposed national unity government would include his Likud party, along with its existing coalition partners, including the far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties, as well as ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. However, he did not clarify who would lead the proposed government.

In the October 27 election, Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament, while the four-party alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. The two Arab parties hold the remaining 19 seats and are supporting Eisenkot.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar