According to the Jerusalem Post, sources close to Netanyahu are pushing for a plan to form a national unity government with Gadi Esencott. Although Esencott has pledged not to serve in a Netanyahu-led government, this plan has begun to surface as post-election coalition negotiations progress. The Israeli Central Election Commission is still updating election results, with the final report not expected to be submitted to the president until next week. Speaking at the Jerusalem International Conference Center, Netanyahu stated, "We must form a strong right-wing national government." However, that same evening, sources close to Netanyahu revealed another option: a national unity government led by Netanyahu with Esencott joining the ruling coalition.
Likud officials believe that Esencott has no better option and will ultimately be forced to join their camp. They claim that support for the change party has largely reached its limit, including voters who traveled from abroad to vote in Israel. They also believe that high voter turnout among Arab voters is unlikely to reappear. Previously, US media reported that Eisencourt may need to win the support of two Arab parties to try to form a minority government, as the opposition is expected to win only 52 to 53 seats, but it remains uncertain whether his political partners will support this plan.
