Netanyahu Says Government Reliant on Arab Parties Cannot Defeat Militant Islam, Calls for Israeli Unity

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that a government reliant on what he calls “militant Islam” could not defend Israel, sharpening his opposition to a prospective coalition supported by Arab-led parties after his bloc lost its parliamentary majority. ⠀ “A government dependent on militant Islam cannot defeat militant Islam. Israel’s security must come first,” Netanyahu said in remarks circulated on November 10. ⠀ At the opening of Israel’s new Knesset that day, Netanyahu urged lawmakers to form a national unity government. He attacked the prospect of a narrower coalition reliant on Ra’am and the Joint List, accusing the parties of seeking Israel’s destruction. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot condemned his speech as divisive. ⠀ In other remarks shared on Tuesday, Netanyahu invoked centuries of Jewish history to emphasize Israel’s survival. ⠀ “The Romans tried to erase us. The Nazis tried to exterminate us,” he said. “Where are they today? Where are we today? We’re here, stronger than ever.” ⠀ He followed that message with a call for national pride: “Don’t apologize for Israel. Be proud of it.” ⠀ Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister following the October 27 election. His bloc holds 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while President Isaac Herzog has tasked Eisenkot with attempting to form a government. Whether Arab-led parties will support such a coalition is a central question in the talks.