Netanyahu: Iran working to renew nuclear threat
Shafaq News- Middle East
Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his call for a national unity government on Tuesday, telling the newly sworn-in Knesset that Israel would soon face international pressure to accept a nuclear-armed Iran.
Netanyahu said Iran was working to revive its nuclear program and argued that toppling the “Ayatollahs’ regime” was the only way to remove what he called an existential threat permanently. He also predicted that Israel would face pressure to accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank under Iranian auspices.
The 26th Knesset opened with a swearing-in ceremony attended by President Isaac Herzog, Speaker Amir Ohana, and Netanyahu. The October 27 election left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot and his allies with 48, and the two Arab-led factions with 19. An outright majority in the 120-seat parliament requires 61 seats.
Herzog gave Eisenkot, a former military chief and leader of the Yashar party, 28 days from November 8 to form a government. The initial deadline is December 6, and Herzog can extend it by up to 14 days. Eisenkot called Netanyahu’s speech divisive and urged the swift formation of a national emergency government.
After parliament opened, Eisenkot and his allies submitted bills to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and impose prime ministerial term limits. They also proposed repealing a judicial overhaul and other laws enacted under Netanyahu’s government.
