Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly called on Saturday for a unity government for the first time since the elections, saying, "This is the time for unity. This is the will of the people; this is the need of the hour. A government that relies on supporters of terror will not fight terror."
Netanyahu also claimed that Israel "would not survive" a government formed by the opposition along with "the Islamists," adding that such a government would "destroy Israel from within."
He warned that opposition leaders were preparing to establish a government with the support of Arab parties, which he accused of supporting Hamas and seeking to undermine Israel's existence.
Netanyahu says 'terror supporters' will undermine Israel's security if allowed in next government
“Because as early as this coming week, there are those who intend to hastily swear in a government with terror supporters; to establish a government in the State of Israel with those striving to eliminate the State of Israel, with those who want to establish a State of Palestine on its ruins,” he said.
Netanyahu argued that such a coalition would be unable to address Israel's security challenges, including the threat from Iran and the ongoing fighting in Gaza and Lebanon.
“A government dependent on terror supporters will not fight terror. A government dependent on haters of Judaism will not preserve Israel as a Jewish state. A government dependent on radical Islam will not fight radical Islam. Such a government will not remove the existential threat from Iran,” he said.
“It will not protect our heroic soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon when a third of its members, a third of its members, call IDF soldiers war criminals and praise the Nukhba and Hezbollah murderers.”
Netanyahu also warned that a government relying on Islamist parties would undermine Israel from within, comparing the potential consequences to violent protests in Europe.
“Such a government dependent on Islamists will tear down the State of Israel from within, just as is happening in European countries, and far worse than that,” he said.
Netanyahu says Israel will see civil unrest
“The fire and flames we see in the streets of Paris and Brussels will pale in comparison to the fire and flames we would see in the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and the rest of Israel's cities.”
“This is not imaginary; these are not scare tactics; this is the reality we will face, and therefore it must be stopped; because our very soul is at stake. With such a government, Israel simply will not survive,” he added.
“Therefore, there is only one choice: not national suicide, but national unity,” he said.
“I call for the establishment of a national unity government that includes all parties of the national camp and all Zionist parties that want to preserve our state, the one and only state of the Jewish people.”
He said such a government would “permanently remove the nuclear threat from Iran, preserve Israel as a Jewish state, and bring unity among us.”
“I call on everyone to demonstrate responsibility at this decisive hour. This is the command of the hour; this is the decree of our very survival,” he said.
Herzog to announce mandate to form next government on Sunday
President Isaac Herzog is expected to decide who will receive the mandate to form the next government following the 2026 election this Sunday.
During consultations with Knesset factions, 67 lawmakers recommended Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot to form the government, compared with 46 who recommended Netanyahu.
Netanyahu had previously called for a “broad national government” led by Likud, including parties willing to join provided they did not support terrorism. In a November 2 statement, he said he was open to discussions with additional parties, although he did not explicitly use the term “national unity government.”
'Pathetic spin': Yashar rejects Netanyahu's appeal for unity government
The Yashar party dismissed Netanyahu's call for a national unity government, calling his address a “hysterical speech” and accusing him of systematically undermining unity in Israeli society.
“The man who divided, ripped apart, and incited Israeli society is heard uttering the word 'unity' only when he realizes his days in office are numbered,” the party said in a post on X.
Yashar said Eisenkot's planned national emergency government would "form will include only parties and Knesset members who support Yashar!’s four principles, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization and a commitment to destroying its military and governing power."
The party challenged Likud to dissolve its alliance with its current political partners, accept Eisenkot's principles, and agree to join a government led by him.
“Until then, this is a pathetic spin and nothing more,” the statement added.
Miriam Sela-Eitam contributed to this report.