A day after sparking a political storm with his combative address at the swearing-in of Israel's new Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a markedly different tone on Wednesday, renewing his call for a national unity government in more conciliatory language.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said:
"Yesterday I explained why a national unity government is necessary. Today I want to explain why it is possible.
At times of crisis, this nation knows how to come together. That is what this moment demands, and that is what the majority of the public wants."
Netanyahu said Israel faces major challenges, as well as significant opportunities, but suggested that some of the issues ahead were too sensitive to discuss publicly.
"I cannot share everything I know here, but many people in this room understand the enormous challenges facing us, as well as the enormous opportunities," he said.
"That is why I believe that, at a time like this, unity is both possible and necessary."
He pledged to keep reaching out to his political rivals, saying: "I will continue extending my hand until heart meets heart and hand meets hand."
The renewed appeal comes as efforts to form Israel's next government are already facing serious obstacles. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party cancelled a planned meeting with Likud negotiators following Netanyahu's speech at the Knesset, accusing him of undermining the very unity he claims to seek.
'So moving, I could cry'
Political commentator Barak Seri was unimpressed by Netanyahu's change in tone, suggesting that the prime minister's newfound conciliatory language was a response to the backlash he faced over Tuesday's speech.
"After the harsh criticism he received for yesterday's inflammatory speech, and after Eisenkot cancelled the meeting with Likud's negotiating team, Netanyahu has switched tactics," Seri said. "Now he's calling for unity in almost poetic language."
Mocking the emotional wording of Netanyahu's appeal, Seri continued:
"Gentle, really sweet. He'll do anything to avoid ending up as an opposition MK. He has to remain in power, with a trial hanging over his head."
Referring to Netanyahu's promise to keep extending his hand until political rivals come together, Seri added sarcastically: "So moving. I could cry."
