The key facts
- Gadi Einyav vowed not to serve under Netanyahu, including rotation, and to resign within an hour.
- Elections on October 27: according to polls, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition gains a majority of 61 out of 120 seats.
- Einyav refused to answer whether he would declare Qatar a hostile state, as Naftali Bennett demanded.
Einyav's statement on the eve of the election
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Einyav said on Wednesday, October 21, on the radio station 103 FM: 'I categorically commit that I will not serve under Netanyahu, even as part of a rotation, and if that happens, I will resign within an hour.' The statement came a few days before the general election scheduled for October 27.
Scenarios for forming a government
According to polls, neither Netanyahu's bloc nor Einyav's opposition camp is expected to obtain the majority needed to form a government — 61 seats out of 120 in the Knesset. Against this backdrop, the possibility of creating a national unity government is being considered, in which Netanyahu and Einyav could alternate in the post of prime minister, excluding the far-right party 'Jewish Power' of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Theoretically, either bloc could form a coalition with the Palestinian parties, which are expected to enter the Knesset, but both sides reject such an option. Palestinians make up more than 20% of Israel's population, which exceeds 10 million people.
The Qatar question
Separately, Einyav, a former chief of the general staff of the Israeli army, refused to answer whether he intends to declare Qatar a hostile state, as demanded by the leader of the opposition party 'Together' and former prime minister Naftali Bennett. 'It would be unserious to simply say in a media interview that I will declare Qatar a hostile state. We will hold a serious discussion of this issue,' he said. Israeli ministers and opposition leaders accuse Qatar of supporting Hamas in Gaza; Doha rejects the accusations, claiming that its humanitarian aid to the Palestinians was delivered through Tel Aviv and the UN.
Context: Netanyahu's government and courts
Netanyahu has led the current government since the end of December 2022; the coalition is widely described as the most right-wing in Israel's history. He is also on trial on charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust in three cases. Since 2024, Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where, according to the agency, more than 74,000 people have died since October 2023.
