Netanyahu’s main election rival rules out serving under him

Gadi Eisenkot, former army chief and Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival in the October 27 election, said he would refuse to serve as a minister in a government led by the prime minister, even under a power-sharing rotation deal. Polls project each camp to win around 50 to 52 seats, short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, while Eisenkot did not rule out a unity government altogether. Naftali Bennett, whose party ranks third in polls, said he would have no issue with a government that included Netanyahu, who is on trial for several corruption charges that he denies. A poll on October 16 found that 55 percent of respondents would prefer a unity government to new elections if the vote produces no clear winner.