Trump Allies Urge Gadi Eisenkot to Swiftly Form Government and Replace Netanyahu
US President Donald Trump's associates reportedly urged Yashar! leader Gadi Eisenkot to swiftly replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. With 67 Knesset recommendations, Eisenkot prepares to form a national emergency government as Netanyahu calls for broad unity.
Associates of US President Donald Trump have reportedly urged allies of Yashar! party leader Gadi Eisenkot to swiftly form a new government and replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately. According to journalist Ben Caspit, speaking in Israeli media's Meet the Press, the message to Eisenkot's camp was unequivocal: "Swear in a government now, replace Bibi now." This development comes as Eisenkot advances efforts to assemble an alternative coalition.
During consultations at the President's Residence, 67 Knesset members recommended Eisenkot, compared to 46 for Netanyahu. President Isaac Herzog is expected to officially task Eisenkot with forming a government early this week. Eisenkot outlined his plan for a national emergency government, initially relying on four Zionist bloc parties—Yashar!, BeYachad, The Democrats, and Yisrael Beytenu—commanding 48 seats, with external support from Arab factions and potential later expansions.
"Over the past few days, I have advanced the plan for a national emergency government with my partners," Eisenkot stated. He stressed that maintaining Netanyahu as a transitional prime minister without a parliamentary majority poses severe security and political risks. Eisenkot's core conditions for the coalition remain unchanged: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, adherence to the Declaration of Independence, mandatory universal service, and the complete dismantling of Hamas.
In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video warning against a government reliant on Arab factions, labeling it a national security threat. Netanyahu called instead for a broad national unity government encompassing all Zionist factions of the national camp. Eisenkot's party fiercely dismissed Netanyahu's remarks as a "hysteric speech" and a desperate spin from a leader whose days in office are numbered.
