Yashar Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot said Friday that significant progress had been made in negotiations to establish a national emergency government, expressing hope that President Isaac Herzog would grant him the mandate to form the next government early next week.
In a lengthy statement published on social media ahead of Shabbat, Eisenkot warned that Israel was facing a national emergency and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering the country's democratic institutions by remaining in office.
"Israel is facing a genuine, tangible, and dangerous national emergency. The current government threatens the very foundations of Israeli democracy, no less. All this while the various fronts of the war remain active and are themselves subject to political and personal whims. Israel is already in the midst of a dangerous diplomatic tsunami."
Eisenkot said he had been working with his political partners in recent days to advance a plan for quickly forming a government based on four Zionist parties committed to political change, while allowing additional factions and Knesset members to join if they accepted his principles.
"We must quickly establish stable and responsible leadership, prevent another round of elections, and stop outgoing Prime Minister Netanyahu from clinging to power. His dangerous determination to remain in the Prime Minister's Office has come at a heavy and dramatic cost, as we have witnessed with even greater intensity in recent days."
The Yashar chairman pointed to the consultations at the President's Residence as evidence that Netanyahu no longer commanded the support of a parliamentary majority.
"The consultations at the President's Residence painted a clear and unequivocal picture: An absolute majority of Knesset members support change and my serving as prime minister. By contrast, only 46 Knesset members support Benjamin Netanyahu remaining in office. In effect, 74 Knesset members have not expressed confidence in Netanyahu continuing as prime minister."
He warned against allowing Netanyahu to continue overseeing the country's security and law enforcement institutions while serving as caretaker prime minister.
"A situation in which a minority caretaker prime minister, who has lost the public's confidence so decisively, continues to control the defense establishment and law enforcement authorities is dangerous and must not be allowed to continue for even one more day."
Eisenkot insisted that replacing the government was consistent with the election results.
"This is the decision of the people. This is the will of the voters. This is the mandate we were given in the elections."
Addressing the ongoing coalition negotiations, Eisenkot said his team had conducted dozens of hours of discussions, including meetings that had not been publicly disclosed.
"I have found that my partners in the bloc understand the gravity of this moment. We have made significant progress and achieved breakthroughs, quietly and modestly, with much more happening behind the scenes than is publicly known."
He added, "That is how we operate. Not through media briefings or political spin."
Eisenkot expressed optimism that the negotiations would allow him to begin formally assembling a coalition in the coming days.
"I sincerely hope that early next week I will receive the mandate to form a government."
He reiterated that his proposed emergency government would be based on four principles: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, acceptance of the values of the Declaration of Independence, mandatory military, national or civilian service for all, and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization alongside a commitment to dismantle its military and governing capabilities.