Netanyahu open to coalition with longtime rival Eisenkot

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled willingness to explore a coalition partnership with Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yesh Atid party, marking a potential rapprochement with a longtime political adversary.

The move reflects Netanyahu's concerns about a possible alternative government coalition that could form against him. Political analysts suggest that Eisenkot could potentially unite Arab parties and ultra-Orthodox factions to build a majority coalition aimed at unseating Netanyahu.

By keeping alliance options open with Eisenkot, Netanyahu appears to be hedging against the possibility of being sidelined by a broad-based coalition of rival political groups. The Israeli political landscape remains fragmented, with multiple parties holding significant parliamentary representation.

Netanyahu's willingness to negotiate with Eisenkot underscores the complex and fluid nature of Israeli coalition politics, where former opponents frequently become partners to secure government formation. The negotiations signal that political survival often supersedes ideological differences in forming governing coalitions.