Eisenkot outlines legislative plans, says Netanyahu is transitional PM

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a transitional premier backed by only 46 MKs, implying United Torah Judaism may no longer be in his bloc. Eisenkot pledged to form an emergency national government and cancel controversial laws.

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot on Tuesday laid out immediate legislative plans and implied that the United Torah Judaism party, often counted as part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, is no longer aligned with him. Following a meeting with Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan, Eisenkot said in a video statement that the bloc leaders are "coordinated and prepared for the coming days." He repeated his pledge to form an "emergency national government" and said the parties will work on replacing the Knesset speaker, passing unspecified "important" legislation, and "canceling laws that endanger democracy," reportedly including the judicial and media overhaul laws. Eisenkot stated that starting Tuesday, Netanyahu is "a transitional prime minister, backed only by 46 Knesset members," implying UTJ could cooperate with efforts to install a government without Netanyahu. Some change bloc members oppose collaborating with Haredi parties over universal conscription. The bloc could also command a majority with the two Arab parties, but only The Democrats' Yair Golan supports such a move. According to Channel 12, the four laws to be repealed include those giving the justice minister control over police investigations, increasing political influence over judicial appointments, expanding government control over broadcast media, and weakening the attorney general's powers. Netanyahu has no apparent path to forming a government and has pointed to allegations of foreign election interference.