Eisenkot calls for swift formation of ‘emergency government’ amid Israeli coalition talks

Israel's Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday that he felt compelled to form an emergency government "as soon as possible," two days after receiving a mandate to build a coalition.

Israel "is at a crossroads," Eisenkot told the newly elected Knesset, describing the period as perhaps "the most challenging" since the country's establishment, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Eisenkot said he would work with his partners and reach out to other parties, adding that he had already invited some to join.

He also stressed his commitment to those serving in the military, saying he would seek to form a government "without abandoning his principles."

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the Together bloc, said he was doing all he could to help Eisenkot form a government quickly and ease the burden on reservists deployed along Israel's borders.

"We have received the necessary tools to establish a good government in Israel. But there is no time," Bennett said, pledging what he called a "reservists' revolution."

Separately, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman told his faction that if elected chair of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, his first step would be to summon the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency and the police commissioner to question them about what he called suspected foreign interference in the elections.

Lieberman said he had sought the chairmanship of the Finance Committee and had agreed to take the defense committee post to avoid complicating negotiations.

"For me, the criteria are clear. First, end the Netanyahu era. Second, prevent another election. Third, rule out a minority government that relies on the United Arab List (Ra'am) and the Joint List," Lieberman said.

He said the decision on whether to form a national unity government rested with Eisenkot alone, adding that he would stay out of such a government if Eisenkot pursued it.

"Just as I will not support a minority government, I will not support any government that includes Netanyahu," Lieberman said.

He added that he had no dispute with Likud as long as Netanyahu remained outside the government.

Lieberman said he was not a candidate for prime minister and that his party had backed Eisenkot's bid to form a government.

He said Eisenkot was leading coalition negotiations and that he was ready to help whenever asked.

Lieberman also acknowledged dropping his opposition to joining a coalition that includes the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.

He said he had hoped the bloc seeking political change would secure at least 61 seats, but the election results had forced him to reconsider his priorities.

To avoid another election, "we will have to show flexibility and be prepared to make concessions," he said.

Although the bloc was in contact with ultra-Orthodox parties, Lieberman denied having personally communicated with them before or after the election.

"All the talk about intermediaries is completely fabricated," he said.

On military service, Lieberman said his party had proposed universal conscription during the election campaign because it believed an overwhelming majority of the public supported it.

"The political reality that emerged was different from what we had hoped for," he added.

Lieberman said his party would now pursue conscription legislation capable of withstanding Supreme Court review while continuing to support conscripts, reservists and career military personnel.

On Monday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said that she was unaware of any evidence that could affect the election results.

President Isaac Herzog formally tasked Eisenkot with forming a government on Sunday after 67 lawmakers recommended him, compared with 46 who backed outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with a possible 14-day extension.

Neither Eisenkot's bloc nor Netanyahu's allies won a majority in the 120-seat Knesset in the Oct. 27 elections. The Arab-led Ra'am and Joint List, which together won 19 seats, both recommended Eisenkot during Herzog's consultations.