Israel's new parliament was sworn in on Tuesday as opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot seeks to oust caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The former army chief was tasked with forming a government by President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, after he received the backing of 67 members of the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 46 for Netanyahu.
Eisenkot faces an uphill struggle. His bloc of four parties won 48 seats in last month's election, while Netanyahu's bloc won 53, leaving both short of a majority. He has 28 days to build a coalition, with a possible two-week extension.
Almost half of the lawmakers being sworn in did not serve in the previous parliament. Arab-led parties hold a record number of seats: the United Arab List and the Joint List won an unprecedented 19 seats between them after a surge in turnout among Arab voters, and they could hold the balance of power.
Netanyahu has ruled out governing with them, and three of the parties in Eisenkot's bloc have opposed including them in a coalition. The United Arab List, which won eight seats, has said it is willing to join an Eisenkot-led coalition. The Joint List, which won 11 seats, has offered parliamentary support from outside. Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beiteinu party won seven seats, has so far refused to join a minority government that depends on Arab lawmakers.
Speaking at the president's residence, Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party, called for a "national emergency government", which he said would "require creative and unconventional political steps". He said any party or lawmaker prepared to accept four principles could join: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; acceptance of the values of the Declaration of Independence; support for mandatory military, national or civilian service for all, including communities currently exempt; and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization, with a commitment to dismantling its military and governing capabilities.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, said in a video on Monday that he wanted a government of national unity under his leadership, open to any Zionist party, including opposition parties. He warned against a government relying on "the Islamists", an apparent reference to Arab parties. "You cannot form a government with Hamas supporters," he said.
Source: BBC
