Benjamin Netanyahu used the Knesset swearing-in ceremony to urge main challenger Gadi Eisenkot into a unity government, warning against partnerships with Arab factions to counter threats like Iran's nuclear program. Opposition leaders swiftly rejected the rhetoric, with Naftali Bennett interrupting the address and Yair Golan walking out of the chamber. Eisenkot subsequently declared the prime minister unfit for office and terminated all coalition negotiations with Likud. The Palestinian-led factions, which secured an unprecedented 19 seats alongside Jewish MPs, maintain a platform advocating for a two-state solution.
Key points
Gadi Eisenkot officially canceled all coalition negotiations with the Likud party followi…: Gadi Eisenkot officially canceled all coalition negotiations with the Likud party following Benjamin Netanyahu's divisive parliamentary remarks.
The opposition leader tasked with forming the next governing coalition declared Benjamin…: The opposition leader tasked with forming the next governing coalition declared Benjamin Netanyahu entirely unfit to remain in office.
Palestinian-led parties, which include Jewish lawmakers, continue to publicly advocate fo…: Palestinian-led parties, which include Jewish lawmakers, continue to publicly advocate for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was accused of giving a "hate-filled speech" against the Palestinian-led parties in the newly elected parliament on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, two weeks after Netanyahu's far-right bloc lost the elections following an historic voter turnout from Palestinian citizens of Israel, the parliament was sworn in in Jerusalem, with an unprecedented 19 members from the Palestinian-led Joint List alliance and Ra'am party.
Marking the ceremonial day, Netanyahu initially told the new Knesset members that Israel was facing "great threats" from Iran's nuclear programme, stating that "the only way to remove this existential threat permanently is by toppling the regime of the ayatollahs".
However, after boasting about Israeli military achievements in the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria, Lebanon and Iran, Netanyahu began lashing out at the Palestinian-led parties.
The Israeli premier said that Israel must "set aside every other consideration and form a national unity government" with his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot.
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