November 10, 2026
The opening ceremony of the 26th session of the Israeli Knesset turned into an arena of intense political confrontation, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took advantage of the occasion to direct a violent attack on the Change camp and the Arab parties, warning against forming a government that depends on their support, before issuing an invitation to his opponents to establish a national unity government. His statements, which came during a group photo of the new representatives in the “Chagall Salon” and were reported by the Israeli “Channel 12”, sparked angry reactions within Parliament that reached the point of boycott, withdrawal, and exchange of accusations between political parties.
Regarding the regional issue, Netanyahu began his speech by warning of the continuing threats facing Israel, led by Iran, considering that Tehran seeks to resume its nuclear program despite the harsh military strikes it was subjected to. He stressed that the only way to permanently remove this existential threat is to overthrow the Ayatollahs’ regime. He also reviewed what he described as unprecedented military achievements, enumerating the names of leaders and personalities who were liquidated, such as Muhammad al-Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ali Khamenei, in addition to causing severe damage to Iran’s infrastructure and the axis of evil and changing the face of the Middle East.
On the internal level, Netanyahu linked confronting security challenges to the necessity of forming a national unity government, accompanying this with a scathing attack on the Arab parties and those who rejected his government. He accused the United Arab List and the Joint List of seeking to destroy the Jewish state through demographic changes and extensive family reunification operations, claiming that MP Mansour Abbas described the Jews in previous statements as “invaders.” These accusations sparked widespread protests inside the hall, prompting the head of the “Democrats” party, Yair Golan, and a number of Arab representatives to withdraw during the speech.
The session witnessed repeated debates and interruptions. The head of the Bihad party, Naftali Bennett, repeatedly interrupted Netanyahu’s speech loudly, highlighting the investigation file into the events of October 7 and the relationship of the prime minister’s advisors with Qatar, without receiving a direct response, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir confronted him, exchanging accusations with him. Following the speech, the head of the Yashar! Gadi Eisenkot launched a scathing attack on Netanyahu, describing his words as “delusional, shameful, and full of hatred,” considering that he is not qualified to continue in his position, and demanding the urgent formation of a national emergency government to ward off risks to Israel’s security.
Condemning reactions came from opposition leaders. Naftali Bennett considered that “this is not how unity is built,” while Yair Golan wrote that Netanyahu refuses to absorb his defeat and resorts to incitement against the Arab public to cling to power. For his part, Mansour Abbas responded, describing Netanyahu’s accusations as “bloody slander,” and holding him responsible for endangering the security of Israelis through his prior knowledge of the route of funds directed to Hamas and his trust in Yahya Sinwar. These developments confirm the depth of the Israeli political division, as the Change camp continues its efforts to form an alternative government amid the tangle of security and political files.
