November 10, 2026
In a step that deepens the political crisis and hampers efforts to form a national unity government, the head of the “Yashar!” party announced Gadi Eisenkot, on Tuesday evening, canceled a negotiating meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, with representatives of the Likud Party. The decision came in protest against the sharp and divisive speech delivered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the swearing-in ceremony for the 26th Knesset, which Eisenkot considered new evidence of Netanyahu’s prioritization of his political survival over the national interest and state security.
The “Yashar!” party explained. In an official statement reported by the Israeli Walla website, the meeting was canceled based on the instructions of its president, after Netanyahu took advantage of an official occasion to launch an attack on citizens and deepen social divisions. Eisenkot described Netanyahu’s speech as “delusional, hate-filled and shameful,” stressing that the outgoing prime minister “is not qualified to continue in office even for one additional minute,” and calling for urgent action to form a national emergency government.
On the other hand, the Likud Party responded with a statement denouncing the decision to cancel the talks, stressing Netanyahu’s continued willingness to “turn over every stone” in order to achieve national unity. Likud indicated that the Prime Minister adhered to his position of refusing to cooperate with what he described as “supporters of armed groups and those who left the hall during the playing of the national anthem,” surprising at the same time that Eisenkot decided to cancel the meeting with Likud in conjunction with his continued communication with those parties.
The roots of the debate go back to the opening session of the 26th Knesset, which witnessed a sharp attack by Netanyahu on the possibility of forming a government that depends on the support of the Arab parties, accusing them of rejecting Israel’s right to exist. He also sent warning messages to the ultra-Orthodox religious parties against joining any coalition led by the Change camp, considering that the promises made to them would evaporate as soon as the government was formed.
These developments reveal the widening gap between the two sides, as Netanyahu insists on attracting right-wing and religious parties and rejects any alliance with the Arab lists, while Eisenkot adheres to his efforts to exclude the current prime minister, which represents the transformation of the slogan of “national unity” from a potential point of consensus into the main title of a raging political conflict in Israel.
