Unity talks: Netanyahu ally cites Trump as guarantor
Dimona Mayor Benny Biton claims President Donald Trump would back a coalition with Gadi Eisenkot if President Isaac Herzog's guarantee is insufficient.
By Anthony Foster ·
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to form a national unity government, according to a close ally who spoke on Sunday. Dimona Mayor Benny Biton, a key figure in the Likud faction, disclosed that he has been working to secure guarantees for a potential coalition with Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot.
Biton stated that he held a conversation with President Isaac Herzog on Saturday. He proposed that Herzog serve as a guarantor for the new administration, assuring the opposition that the government would remain stable. Biton argued that if domestic leaders doubted Herzog's commitment, international backing would be available.
"I trust that the president of the State of Israel will guarantee this. But if you do not trust the president of the State of Israel, I also trust the president of the United States, the president of the world's greatest superpower," Biton told Kan News.
The political situation has become tense regarding the leadership of the Knesset. Biton warned that the opposition's push to remove Speaker Amir Ohana before a coalition is finalized would act as a declaration of war. He emphasized that changing the speaker must be a mutual agreement among all parties rather than a unilateral move.
"There is no problem with agreeing on a Knesset speaker if it is done through mutual agreement among everyone. If they intend to make unilateral parliamentary moves, that is a red line," he said. Likud party officials have reportedly told the opposition bloc that replacing Ohana with support from Arab parties would kill the chances of a unity government.
Biton insisted that failing to form a unity government would lead to another election, a scenario that would benefit neither side. He predicted that even if the opposition succeeded in forming a government without Likud, it would be fragile. He claimed such a government would not survive for more than six months.
The Likud faction maintains that no bloc can independently form a stable government under current conditions. Biton stressed that the current political stalemate requires a unified approach to avoid returning to the polls.
