Shas chairman Aryeh Deri said Tuesday evening that he supports the formation of a broad coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would include Gadi Eisenkot, and made clear that all parties would need to give up some of their power to make it happen.
"I am in favor of a broad government with Eisenkot under Netanyahu's leadership. Each of the parties will need to give up some of its power. It pains me to see the division in the nation," Deri declared in an interview with Yossi Ben Atar on Kan Moreshet.
The statement marks an explicit endorsement by Deri of a unity government that would bring Eisenkot into a Netanyahu-led coalition. In his remarks, Deri positioned Netanyahu's continued tenure as prime minister as a core element of the framework he supports.
Alongside his backing for Eisenkot's inclusion, the Shas chairman emphasized that the move could not be based on demands from one side alone. According to Deri, each party would need to relinquish part of its strength to enable the formation of the broad government.
Deri did not specify what concessions would be required from the parties, whether Shas itself would be prepared to give up certain demands, or how agreements could be reached among the various sides.
Later in his remarks, the Shas chairman also addressed the social situation in Israel, expressing sorrow over the divisions in the nation. His support for the broad government was accompanied by the statement "it pains me to see the division in the nation," indicating the weight the issue carries in his thinking.
