Israel’s President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to begin his discussions with the Knesset factions on Wednesday, in order to determine which grouping has the best chance of pulling together a government. This morning, Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot convened the first post-election meeting with the other four leaders of the bloc: Yachad chairman Naftali Bennett; Yachad’s second, Yair Lapid; The Democrats head Yair Golan; and Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Lieberman. Their statement announced a reaffirmation of their uniting behind Eisenkot to receive the first mandate to form a government from Herzog and their joint agreement that their negotiating teams will begin drafting coalition agreements and policy guidelines immediately.

Their statement also condemned the “dangerous and unhinged campaign” by Netanyahu and his Likud party to delegitimize both the election results and the Central Elections Committee. They pledged to act swiftly to replace Netanyahu’s government, founding their effort on the four principles outlined by Eisenkot: recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; commitment to the values of Israel’s Declaration of Independence; mandatory service for all; and recognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization and the obligation to dismantle its military capabilities and end its rule in the Gaza Strip.

Further, they agreed on a plan to immediately launch coalition negotiations and coordinate their parliamentary strategy ahead of the new Knesset’s swearing-in next week. Of special note, the statement’s language read: “The party leaders are united and will act immediately to replace the October 7 government with a national emergency government and put the clear parliamentary majority in the Knesset to work.” This wording, “put the clear parliamentary majority in the Knesset to work,” implies their organized cooperation with the Arab parties, as there is no parliamentary majority without them. While, up to now, Lieberman has explicitly and publicly rejected even this limited collaboration with the Arab parties, the language may be their way of providing Lieberman with a fig leaf. And the reference to “a national emergency government” may indicate the case they plan to make to Herzog—that Netanyahu is dangerously out of control.