Israeli PM Netanyahu calls for unity govt with rival ‘for limited period’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the formation of an emergency government to confront a growing crisis over Covid-19, offering a potential way out of political deadlock.

Netanyahu made the offer in a nationally televised address on Thursday. “It will be an emergency government for a limited period,” he said, adding that politics should be put aside.

His chief rival, former military chief Benny Gantz, said he was willing to discuss the possibility of a national unity government and that his party will do “everything in our power to see it move forward,” AP reports.

The conciliatory language marked a sharp change after months of acrimonious campaigning and heightened rhetoric in the wake of another inconclusive election earlier this month. Israel has been relatively insulated from the coronavirus scare, with over 100 cases diagnosed so far.