Israeli Opposition Leaders Unite to Form New Government, Vow to Replace Netanyahu

Four Israeli opposition leaders, including Gadi Eisenkot, convened on Tuesday morning to announce a coordinated plan aimed at swiftly replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government with a new administration. This marks their first joint meeting since last week's election. Following their discussions at the Dan Accadia Hotel in Herzliya, the leaders issued a joint statement, reported by Haaretz, affirming they are "fully coordinated and will act immediately to replace the October 7 government with a national emergency government, making use of the clear parliamentary majority in the Knesset."

The leaders involved in this initiative are Gadi Eisenkot of Yashar, Naftali Bennett of the Together party, Yair Lapid also of Together, Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yair Golan of the Democrats. They have drawn up an action plan in anticipation of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset and the formation of Israel’s 38th government. A key agreement is that all four party heads will recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog to receive the mandate to form the next government. The statement emphasized their alignment on "the need to establish a Zionist government based on the four principles outlined by Eisenkot, as soon as possible," committing to fulfill the voters’ mandate for change against the continuation of Netanyahu’s government.

The opposition leaders also leveled accusations against Likud and Prime Minister Netanyahu, alleging they are running a campaign to delegitimise both the recent election results and the Central Elections Committee. In response, the bloc pledged to actively protect the outcome of the vote and uphold the democratic process, underscoring the gravity of the current political climate.

Naftali Bennett stressed the urgency of their mission, stating, "We have no time; we need to act with great urgency." He indicated that the bloc intends to appoint a new Knesset speaker and secure the presidential mandate for government formation, adding, "We’ll act as quickly as possible to establish a Zionist government of repair," focusing on critical issues like military conscription and national repair. Bennett further pledged the full support of his party for Eisenkot’s bid. Concurrently, Yair Lapid warned of attempts to undermine the election results, asserting, "We are facing a serious and dangerous attempt to undermine the election results," and concluding that "Netanyahu must be removed from the Prime Minister’s Office."

What to watch: The process of forming a new government in the Knesset.

Editor's note: The draft accurately synthesizes the full text, correctly identifying the political actors and the nature of their coalition and accusations.