"Today I want to say why it’s possible": Netanyahu renews unity government pitch amid Knesset row

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that forming a national unity government was still possible, a day after delivering a speech in the Knesset in which he accused Arab lawmakers of supporting "terrorism" and seeking Israel's "destruction", The Times of Israel reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that forming a national unity government was still possible, a day after delivering a speech in the Knesset in which he accused Arab lawmakers of supporting "terrorism" and seeking Israel's "destruction", The Times of Israel reported. Speaking to reporters in the halls of the Knesset, Netanyahu adopted a markedly different tone from his remarks on Tuesday, reiterating the need for political unity amid the ongoing government-formation process.

"Yesterday I said why a national unity government is necessary," Netanyahu told reporters. "Today I want to say why it’s possible." "It is possible because this nation knows how to come together at moments of truth," he said, adding, "and we are facing a moment of truth."

"This is the call of the hour, this is the will of the majority of the nation," Netanyahu said. Citing examples of unity during the Knesset's swearing-in and the past three years of war, Netanyahu said that people from different backgrounds and political ideologies had stood together.

"Religious and secular, left and right, simply stood and fought together shoulder to shoulder," he said. "I can’t tell you everything that I know, but there are enough people who know what massive challenges and what massive opportunities we have," Netanyahu added.

He further said that he would “continue to reach out” to potential coalition partners. According to The Times of Israel, President Isaac Herzog has given Netanyahu's political rival, Gadi Eisenkot, the mandate to form the next government.

The development comes amid a political deadlock following Israel's October 27 parliamentary elections, which resulted in a hung Knesset, with neither major political bloc securing the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member legislature. Meanwhile, Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas accused Netanyahu of using his position to incite against the Arab community and its representatives.

According to The Times of Israel, Abbas told the Kan public broadcaster that Natan Eshel, a confidant of Netanyahu, had recently contacted him on behalf of the Prime Minister to gauge his party's position on a possible coalition to replace the incumbent government. Abbas said Eshel had asked about his party's position on a proposed law barring criminal defendants from serving as prime minister and whether Ra'am would join a coalition to replace Netanyahu's government.

Commenting on Netanyahu's speech, Abbas told Kan, "He took advantage of his state position to incite against the Arab public and its representatives." "[Netanyahu] continues the campaign of incitement and blood libels against me, against Ra’am, against the Arab public," he added, calling the speech dangerous and alleging that it endangered his life and those of his family members.

Separately, The Times of Israel reported that the Knesset on Wednesday approved the composition of its 22-member Arrangements Committee by a vote of 63-50, rejecting a proposal by Netanyahu's Likud party to reduce the representation of Arab parties. The committee, which will be chaired by Yashar lawmaker Roy Folkman, will have nine members from the bloc led by Eisenkot, nine from the bloc supporting Netanyahu and four representatives from Arab parties, including the Joint List and Ra'am.

Under Folkman's proposal, parliamentary factions will receive one seat for every five lawmakers they have. Likud will have five seats, Yashar four, while B'Yachad, the Joint List, the Democrats and Ra'am will each have two representatives. Yisrael Beytenu, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, Shas and Religious Zionism will each have one seat. The Arrangements Committee holds considerable authority while the Knesset's permanent committees are being constituted. It determines their composition for approval by lawmakers and can establish temporary Finance and Foreign Affairs and Defence committees. It also oversees parliamentary procedures and Knesset business until the House Committee is formed.

According to the news publication, Likud lawmaker Ofir Katz had proposed an alternative arrangement that would have given greater representation to Netanyahu's bloc. However, the proposal was rejected amid objections that it would disproportionately favour the Prime Minister's supporters. "It was a fair proposal, but they refused because they are trying to conceal their cooperation with terror supporters in the Knesset," Katz said in the plenum.

Responding to the objections, Folkman said, "Decency is something you can’t legislate, but there are norms, and there are laws," adding that he had attempted to reach an agreement with Katz, but the latter had refused. The committee's composition is significant as it gives the Eisenkot-led bloc a majority in the body overseeing much of the Knesset's business during the government-formation process. However, its chairmanship could pass to another faction if Eisenkot fails to form a government and the mandate is subsequently assigned to another lawmaker. (ANI)