Netanyahu calls for Israeli unity government, Eisenkot dismisses ‘tricks’

JERUSALEM: Israel’s caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated his calls for a national unity government with his opponent Gadi Eisenkot, who in turn dismissed the appeal as a ruse.

The latest exchange comes as Eisenkot is in the midst of negotiations to form a government, after he was tapped for the post of premier on Sunday.

A meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday “only strengthened the conviction that it is essential to form a national unity government” to guarantee Israel’s security, Netanyahu said in a video statement, adding that such a government could “eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all.”