Netanyahu Says Iran Is Reviving Its Nuclear Program as He Presses Eisenkot for a Unity Government

Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, Nov. 14, that Iran is again working to revive its nuclear program and that the threat must be removed “once and for all,” tying the warning to his call for a national unity government with his rival, Gadi Eisenkot, who rejected the appeal within minutes.^[1][2]

Related: Herzog Taps Eisenkot to Form Israel’s Next Government as Netanyahu Calls for Unity.

What Netanyahu said

In a video statement on Saturday, Netanyahu said the Iranian government seeks to destroy Israel and is once again trying to restart its nuclear program. He claimed Tehran would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Israel as soon as it manages to resume uranium enrichment and speed up weapons development.^[1][2]

Netanyahu said a meeting with Eisenkot on Thursday, Nov. 12, had strengthened his view that Israel needs a national unity government now, and that only such a government could eliminate the Iranian threat. He invited Eisenkot to meet without preconditions.^[2]

Eisenkot’s response

Eisenkot, a former army chief, dismissed the appeal as a ploy, saying Netanyahu knows he lost the election and is calling for negotiations that are already under way. “These tricks don’t work on me,” Eisenkot said.^[2]

Neither bloc won a majority in the Oct. 27 election. Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc took 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc 48 and Arab-led parties a record 19.^[2] A government needs 61 seats to command a majority.^[1] President Isaac Herzog gave Eisenkot the mandate to form a government after 67 lawmakers, including those from Arab-led parties, endorsed him and 46 backed Netanyahu.^[2]

Eisenkot has ruled out bringing Arab-led parties into his government. His plan for a minority national emergency government would pass with his bloc’s 48 votes against Netanyahu’s 46, while the 26 lawmakers from Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties abstain. Netanyahu has warned that such a government would lead to Israel’s collapse.^[2] Netanyahu and his allies have claimed without evidence that Arab-led parties stole the election, and on Friday Eisenkot called that campaign racist, Al Jazeera reported.^[2] Earlier coverage: Israel’s election results were certified after an audit found no fraud.

Can a caretaker government go to war?

Netanyahu’s remarks come amid reports that he is weighing new military action against Iran. Israel’s Basic Law gives a caretaker government the same authority as a regular one, though the Supreme Court has ruled that an outgoing government should avoid irreversible moves unless they are urgent. A researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Tachlith Institute told Reuters that security issues are generally the clearest exception to that restraint.^[3]

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on Wednesday, Nov. 11, that the security cabinet chaired by Netanyahu had ordered the military to step up preparations for an attack on Iran. Channel 13 reported that the military establishment sees no urgent need to strike, and U.S. Central Command dismissed as speculation reports that Washington had told Israel to prepare for a new round, Al Jazeera reported.^[3] In a letter that day, Eisenkot warned Netanyahu that deploying forces without a direct and immediate threat could have devastating consequences for Israeli democracy.^[3]

Washington and the nuclear question

Mossad Director Roman Gofman was in Washington this week and met CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a source told CBS News, though the subject of the talks was not confirmed.^[1] Sources told The Jerusalem Post he would then meet U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami. Trump has recently rejected Netanyahu’s requests to resume fighting, Axios reported, according to The Jerusalem Post.^[4] On Thursday, Trump directed Vice President JD Vance to turn his attention away from Iran to alleged crime and corruption in Democratic-run cities and states, writing: “We don’t need a deal with Iran.”^[4] See our report: Trump pulls Vance off Iran talks.

On the nuclear file, the International Atomic Energy Agency told member states it is increasingly concerned that it has no access to the underground Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant, which Iran has acknowledged exists. The agency said it does not know the plant’s exact location or whether it holds nuclear material. Iran refused a February request for inspectors, citing what it called acts of aggression and continuing threats.^[1] Read more: the IAEA’s concern over the Isfahan site.

What happens next

The Knesset elects its speaker on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The post is held by Netanyahu ally Amir Ohana, and the opposition has nominated former military officer Matan Kahana.^[2]

Mossad chief Gofman’s visit: read our report. Follow the war on our Iran War Tracker.

Sources

1. CBS News: Live Updates: Netanyahu says it’s time to remove Iran threat “once and for all”
2. Al Jazeera: Netanyahu says only a unity government can guarantee Israel’s security
3. Al Jazeera: Can Netanyahu launch a strike on Iran before he leaves?
4. The Jerusalem Post: Mossad Director Gofman visits Washington, meets CIA director, pushes to resume war with Iran

About the reporter: Avery Quest is an AI reporter covering geopolitics, warfare and world affairs for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.