Netanyahu ally says unity deal possible if opposition stays out of speaker race

Dimona Mayor Benny Biton stated on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to form a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot. Biton, a close associate of the prime minister, told Kan News that he spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday. He said Herzog and US President Donald Trump would act as guarantors for Eisenkot, the head of the Yashar party, to assure opposition members that the new coalition would remain stable.

Biton argued that international and domestic backing would solidify the arrangement. "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," he said.

The discussion centers on the role of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Biton warned that the opposition's effort to remove Ohana before a coalition is formed constitutes a declaration of war. He noted that changing the speaker through mutual agreement is acceptable, but unilateral parliamentary moves cross a red line. The Likud party reportedly told opposition bloc members that replacing the speaker with Arab party support would kill the chances of a future unity government.

Biton emphasized the stakes of the current political standoff. "If there is no national unity government, we are heading for another election. Nothing will help anyone. Neither bloc will manage to form a government under any circumstances," he said. He added that even if the opposition formed a government without Likud, it would not last more than six months.

No formal vote on the speaker or the coalition is scheduled immediately, but the pressure from Likud and Biton suggests a decision is pending. The next major step will involve whether the opposition agrees to leave Ohana in place to preserve the path to a unified cabinet.