Netanyahu calls for 'national unity' government

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has called on the parties of the so-called bloc of change to form a government of national unity with the parties of his outgoing coalition and issued grave warnings, saying that a government formed with Arab parties, which he called "supporters of terrorism", would destroy the country. The Times of Israel reports it.

The statement comes on the eve of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's announcement of who will be in charge of forming the next government following last week's vote; Netanyahu's opponents are increasingly optimistic about the possibility of ousting the country's longest-serving prime minister.

While calling for unity, Netanyahu said that such a government should include all of his allies from the previous coalition, namely the ultranationalist factions of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, the ultra-Orthodox parties and the Likud.