Netanyahu bloc clashes with Arab lawmakers as new Knesset convenes

Israel's 26th Knesset opened on Tuesday amid sharp disputes between the Netanyahu-backed bloc and Arab lawmakers. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's faction scheduled a vote to replace outgoing speaker Amir Ohana, naming former military official Matan Kahana as its candidate. Arab-Israeli members of the Joint List left the chamber during the national anthem, prompting Likud members to question Eisenkot's partners.

"I sat and listened to the outgoing prime minister's delusional, divisive, hate-filled and shameful speech, exploiting a state occasion," Eisenkot said, adding that he considered Netanyahu unfit to remain in office.

Caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that forming a government with parties he described as “terror supporters” could make Israel dependent on groups whose goal, he said, is the destruction of the Jewish state. He also called for a national unity government in light of what he termed an emerging nuclear threat from Iran.

President Isaac Herzog opened the session, condemning racism and urging party leaders to make concessions. Right-wing protesters gathered outside the Knesset, voicing opposition to any coalition that might involve Arab lists.

Eisenkot's bloc also announced plans to establish a commission to investigate the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and to repeal Netanyahu's recent judicial reforms. Analysts noted that the opposition’s reluctance to work with Arab parties could lead to a parliamentary stalemate or a fragile minority government.