The first faction to arrive was United Torah Judaism, which announced that it had decided not to recommend anyone to form the government. The United Torah Judaism delegation included MK Yitzhak Pindrus, MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, Moshe Rosenthal, Amitai Shulman and Moti Babchik. MK Meir Porush decided not to attend.
Next came the Otzma Yehudit faction, which recommended MK Benjamin Netanyahu to form the government. The Otzma Yehudit delegation included Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Minister Amichai Eliyahu, MK Limor Son Har-Melech and MK Yitzhak Kroizer.
The third faction, The Democrats, recommended Gadi Eisenkot to form the government. The delegation included MK Efrat Rayten, MK Naama Lazimi, MK Gilad Kariv, Gabriela Laski-Shutz and Yaya Fink.
The Joint List to Recommend Eisenkot: “A Difficult Decision”
The Joint List announced today that it had unanimously decided to recommend Gadi Eisenkot to form the government. The recommendation will be presented to the president this evening as part of the consultation process.
In its statement, the Joint List said the decision was made “following the broad public support we received from our community, in response to the public demand to prevent Netanyahu and his government from returning to power, and out of our commitment to the promise to take every possible step to achieve this.”
“We reached the decision unanimously, following consultations among the members of the Joint List. It was not an easy decision,” the statement said. “Despite our determination to bring down Netanyahu, the opposition camp, led by Eisenkot, has yet to demonstrate the willingness required to confront Netanyahu’s approach, as well as to fight incitement against Arab citizens and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of their political decisions.”
The statement continued: “Although Eisenkot has received more recommendations than Netanyahu, we believe it is important to widen the gap between them. This is a step that strengthens the chances of replacing the government and reduces the possibility of various attempts to form a national unity government that would keep Netanyahu in power – an option Netanyahu is pursuing with the support of influential Israeli, regional and international actors.”
The Joint List delegation will include Professor Yousef Jabareen, Dr Ahmad Tibi, Bakr Awawdeh, Dr Ofer Cassif and Dr Maha Karkabi-Sabah.
Ra’am Recommends Eisenkot: “The Way to a Unity Government Is to Give Him the Mandate”
The Ra’am party also recommended Eisenkot to form the government. Party leader Mansour Abbas said: “The Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit did not allow the government to bring the hostages home, and we know how they returned – they returned thanks to the United States. When you compare Ra’am’s participation as a partner in the government, it would only make the government more alert on security matters, improve Israel’s international standing and open up prospects for normalisation. It would also open up prospects for a new civil policy that would solve problems.”
Abbas added: “If the president wants to promote a unity government, the way to do that is to give Eisenkot the mandate. He would form a government in a matter of days, a national government of salvation, even if only temporarily. Then, from the Prime Minister’s Office, from that position of power, he could bring the various parties on board. That is how unity can be achieved, based on the government’s guiding principles.”
Herzog asked Abbas whether he felt conflicted by Israel’s vision as a Zionist state. Abbas replied: “I have been there, and I want to be there. What characterises Ra’am is that, through great effort and deep thought, we have found a balance between our Israeli civic identity and our Arab and Muslim identity. That is why we are able to function within complex systems. And that is why Ra’am keeps rising, because it provides answers for both the Arab and Jewish populations.”
Herzog also asked whether Ra’am could participate in a government during wartime, when Israel is fighting terrorism. Abbas replied that the purpose of the party’s participation in government was to address the problems of Arab society, not to manage security or foreign policy. According to Abbas, partnership between Jews and Arabs could contribute to ending the conflict.
Abbas rejected the claim that Ra’am’s participation in the government could endanger the state’s security, and sharply criticised Netanyahu: “I sat in the official Prime Minister’s Residence in Balfour Street and was astonished by Benjamin Netanyahu’s disregard for the security of the state when he addressed the challenges coming from the Gaza Strip. Therefore, the person who should stand before the president and answer these difficult questions is Benjamin Netanyahu, who abandoned the security of Israel’s citizens not only on 7 October.”
Later, Herzog asked Abbas whether he was calling for Hamas to disarm. Abbas replied: “I have said this. Our vision is reconciliation and peace: a Palestinian state alongside an independent, sovereign State of Israel.”
When asked by the Director-General of the President’s Residence why he did not say that Hamas was a terrorist organisation, Abbas replied: “I have a clear-cut answer, but allow me this room to build a bridge and exert influence on the other side as well. And allow me some room to protect myself and my family. We are a bridge; let’s not destroy that bridge. Let’s not turn us into supporters of terrorism or traitors. In a certain sense, this is a matter of saving lives, so please leave us this space. We are unequivocally opposed to terrorism and violence against any person.”
Yoav Segalovitz, who holds second place on Ra’am’s list and previously served as Deputy Minister of Public Security and head of the police Investigations and Intelligence Division, with the rank of Major General, told President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence: “Every Jew carries on their back 2,000 years of history of living as a minority, often a persecuted minority. Precisely for this reason, indifference, exclusion and the delegitimisation of minorities are phenomena we must not accept. This is something that must be brought to an end, immediately.”
Yashar! Party Demands That Election of Knesset Speaker Be Added to the Agenda of the Opening Session
Yashar! with Eisenkot faction chair Roy Folkman today sent a letter to Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana, demanding that the election of the Knesset Speaker be added to the agenda of the opening session of the 26th Knesset.
Alongside the submission of letters by the Change and Correction parties, Yashar! has begun collecting signatures from incoming Knesset members on a request to replace the Knesset Speaker. According to the party’s announcement, the formal request, together with the required signatures, will be submitted before the Knesset convenes.
The Yashar! delegation for the consultation round with the president will include Yoram Cohen, Shaul Meridor, Israel Zri, Orit Farkash-Hacohen and Inbar Giti. The consultation is expected to begin at 19:15.
The schedule and order of arrival of party representatives at the President’s Residence:
- 08:45 – United Torah Judaism.
- 09:45 – Otzma Yehudit.
- 11:00 – The Democrats.
- 12:15 – Ra’am.
- 16:45 – The Joint List.
- 18:00 – Beyachad.
- 19:15 – Yashar!.
- 20:30 – Likud.
Consultations at the President’s Residence began yesterday. Religious Zionism, Shas and Zehut recommended Netanyahu to form the government, while Yisrael Beiteinu recommended that the task of forming the government be assigned to Eisenkot.