Aizenkot vows to refuse joining a government led by Netanyahu even if Trump asks.

Aizenkot added: “If Trump invites me, I will respect the president and attend, but I will emphasize that the matter concerns Israeli internal affairs, and I will prevent any interference.”

In a related context, Netanyahu continued on Monday evening to incite the Arab parties in Israel.

Netanyahu said in a statement posted on “X”: “The public in Israel does not want a government that relies on the United Arab List and the Joint List,” claiming they are “two parties that support terrorism and deny the existence of the Jewish state.”

On Saturday evening, Tel Aviv saw massive demonstrations by Israelis demanding the inclusion of Arabs in the upcoming Israeli government.

Netanyahu continued: “From day one, we have extended our hands to form a broad national government.”

He later backtracked, saying: “A clear majority of the Jewish public chose the Likud party as the largest party, and chose me as prime minister to lead the next government.”

Netanyahu claimed: “We aim to form a broad government with our partners and any party that wishes to do so and does not support terrorism, and I am open to dialogue on this matter.”

On Sunday, the head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Solberg, rejected calls to question the overall results of the Knesset elections, amid accusations made by Netanyahu and his Likud party of alleged Qatari interference in the voting, following his camp’s failure to secure a parliamentary majority.

Solberg’s remarks came after elections held last Tuesday, which gave Netanyahu’s camp 53 seats out of 120 in the Knesset, falling short of the 61‑seat majority needed to form a government.

The Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” quoted Solberg as saying, “The claim that the available evidence could call into question the overall election results is incorrect.”

Solberg explained that any violations and potential doubts are subject to examination, emphasizing that even if proven, they do not diminish the overall voting results.

Netanyahu and his Likud party had launched accusations of alleged Qatari interference in the elections, by financing activities aimed at increasing voter turnout in the Arab community and influencing the results.

The party has not presented public evidence to substantiate its accusations of Qatari involvement or widespread fraud.

In contrast, Qatar, last Thursday, rejected these accusations, describing them as a “new disinformation campaign” aimed at dragging its name into Israel’s internal political disputes.

In the recent elections held about a week ago, Netanyahu’s camp secured 53 seats, the “Change” camp obtained 48 seats, and the Arab parties won 19 seats.

Since late 2022, Netanyahu has headed the current government, which is far‑right and described as the most extreme in Israel’s history, a state established in 1948 on occupied Palestinian lands.

The Elections Committee is scheduled to publish the final results in the official gazette on Wednesday and deliver them to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

At 5 p.m. that same day, consultations are set to begin at the president’s residence with representatives of Israeli parties, preparing to grant a mandate to a candidate to form a government, which should conclude on Thursday evening, according to the Hebrew newspaper “Maariv”.

On Monday, Channel 12 reported that the leader of the “Israel Beitenu” party, Avigdor Lieberman, would recommend appointing Aizenkot to form the government.

The official broadcasting authority noted that the “Democrats” party, led by Yair Golan, is moving toward recommending Aizenkot.

On Sunday, the “Together” party, headed by Naftali Bennett, announced it had decided to recommend Aizenkot.

Arab MKs hinted that they will recommend appointing Aizenkot.

In that case, the number of recommendations for Aizenkot would reach 67 votes, versus 53 for Netanyahu’s camp.

Estimates suggest this tally would compel Herzog to first task Aizenkot with forming a government, even though Likud is the largest party in the Knesset.

Both Netanyahu and Aizenkot agree on rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, despite UN resolutions that call for its creation under a two‑state solution.

Netanyahu (76) has served as prime minister in five non‑consecutive terms, making him the longest‑serving Israeli prime minister, and he is on trial for corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which could imprison him if convicted.

He has also been wanted since 2024 to appear before the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians during the ongoing genocide in Gaza that began in 2023.