Israeli President to task opposition leader with forming government

“President Herzog invited Gadi Eisenkot to the presidential residence, where he will be entrusted with the mission of forming a government tomorrow at 5:00 PM,” the statement read.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the country’s survival is at stake if the opposition governs with Arab parties, urging the formation of a national unity government ahead of Herzog’s appointment of a candidate to form a government.

“The fire and flames we see in the streets of Paris and Brussels will pale in comparison to the fire and flames we will see in the streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and the rest of Israel’s cities. This is not a fantasy; it is not a tactic to instill fear; it is the reality we will face, and that is why we must avoid it,” Netanyahu said.

He added in a video message, his second since the October 27th elections, “Because our own survival is at stake. With a government like this, Israel simply will not survive.”

Netanyahu called for a “government of unity” excluding those who are “supporters of Hamas,” referring to the two Arab formations, Raam and the Joint List, which secured 19 seats in the elections.

He urged the formation of a “national” government, preserving his own political bloc, but incorporating parties or parliamentarians from the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot.