Herzog’s TV show was a desperate push for a unity government most MKs bitterly oppose

President Isaac Herzog turned the traditional post-election consultations into a televised spectacle, aggressively questioning party representatives in a bid to push for a national unity government. Most MKs bitterly oppose a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the centrist B'Yachad party leading the opposition. Herzog will task former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government, backed by 67 MKs.

President Isaac Herzog turned the traditional post-election consultations into a televised spectacle, aggressively questioning party representatives in a bid to push for a national unity government. The article, by political analyst Shalom Yerushalmi, describes Herzog's transparent efforts to generate headlines and steer politicians toward his objective, despite most MKs bitterly opposing a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog will task former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, backed by 67 MKs. The fiercest opposition came from the centrist B'Yachad party, with MK Meirav Cohen calling Netanyahu a 'scorpion' and Yair Lapid dismissing a unity government as a 'fairy tale.' Herzog made controversial remarks, including criticizing the Democrats over a past tree-planting crisis and expressing regret over the striking down of the Tal Law, which provided Haredi draft exemptions. The article notes that Eisenkot's path to forming a government is fraught with difficulties, dependent on hesitant ultra-Orthodox and Arab parties.