Netanyahu pushes for unity government as Iran tensions dominate Israel’s agenda

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

While the prospect of war with Iran continues to dominate Israel’s agenda, Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to secure a role for himself and his Likud party in negotiations to form the next government, pushing for the establishment of a national unity government.

A surprising development in the negotiations is that Gadi Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming the government, has agreed to hold talks between representatives of his Yashar party and Likud to discuss the possibility of forming a national unity government.

Officials say Eisenkot is open to the idea in principle, while the main point of contention remains who would serve as prime minister.

Meanwhile, as security reports call for a strike against Iran following reports that Tehran possesses at least 2,500 ballistic missiles, relevant authorities are examining the legal authority of Netanyahu’s government to declare war and the conditions under which it could do so.

On the ground, protests by Israeli soldiers in Syria are growing over the continued occupation without any new missions being carried out. This comes as the Israeli military claims to have launched new attacks on Lebanon aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s capabilities.