Israeli opposition leaders disagree on coalition strategy amid negotiations

Israeli opposition leaders Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gadi Eisenkot are negotiating to form a coalition without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with disagreements over relying on Arab parties and the pace of talks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke yesterday in the Knesset foyer, in a speech he wrote over the past two days. While President Isaac Herzog called for unity, Netanyahu added words of division and incitement, mainly against the Arab parties. He called for a national unity government, but the article claims this stems from political distress rather than genuine desire. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett demanded the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failure. Within the change bloc, there is disagreement on how to form a government: Gadi Eisenkot wants an immediate government relying on the Arab factions, Yair Lapid calls for patience, and Avigdor Lieberman refuses to rely on Ra'am. Mansour Abbas denied in an interview with Channel 12 that he seeks to establish an Islamic state, and called the accusations of supporting terrorism a "blood libel." The article notes that Lieberman may eventually agree to rely on Ra'am, and that the appointment of Matan Kahana as Knesset Speaker is considered an achievement for the bloc.