Behind the ceremonial announcement of “full coordination,” Tuesday’s meeting of Israel’s left-wing bloc leaders exposed ego battles and sharp disputes behind closed doors.
Gadi Eisenkot demanded that the Knesset speaker position go to a member of his Yashar party, but ran into a united front from Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Liberman, who insisted the job should go to Lapid. The dispute over who would lead the Knesset remained unresolved.
2+Another clash erupted over who would join the government. Yair Golan said his party, the Democrats, wants to form a government with the Arab parties—which he met with before the bloc leaders convened. Liberman made clear he would neither sit in nor support a government that relies on Arab parties.
Some understandings were reached regarding negotiations with the ultra-Orthodox parties, though it’s still unclear what red lines Eisenkot could commit to, especially on the military draft law. The only absolute agreement: all would recommend Eisenkot to the president as their candidate to form a government.
2+After the meeting, the parties issued a joint statement. Under the heading “Joint Statement from Leaders of the Change and Reform Parties,” they wrote that party leaders are coordinated and will act immediately to replace the 10/7 government with a national emergency government and realize the clear parliamentary majority in the Knesset.
According to the statement, leaders of the change and reform parties met shortly before in Herzliya for their first joint discussion, coordinating an action plan ahead of the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset and the formation of the 38th government as soon as possible. Party leaders are coordinated on the need to establish a Zionist government based on the four principles Eisenkot laid out, as early as possible.
2+At the meeting, party leaders emphasized their full commitment to implementing the decision of Israeli citizens, who voted clearly and decisively for change and against the continuation of the current government—the “October 7th government.” The statement also noted that party leaders coordinated plans and moves to realize the parliamentary majority immediately, in the Knesset’s first days.
Party leaders discussed what they described as the delegitimization campaign Likud and Netanyahu are waging against the election results and the Central Elections Committee, and expressed their uncompromising commitment to defending the election results and the democratic process.
In accordance with the party leaders’ agreement, all parties will recommend to the president Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot to receive the first mandate to form a government, with the goal of establishing a government as quickly as possible and preventing Israel from being dragged into another election.
The meeting established that the parties’ negotiating teams will begin working immediately to formulate the basic guidelines and agreements for forming the 38th government. Party leaders agreed to continue close and continuous coordination in the coming days until the new government is sworn in.