Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File
| Photo Credit: AFP
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intention on Saturday (June 27, 2026) to form a broader coalition after the upcoming election, explicitly distancing himself from both the far-right and the left.Mr. Netanyahu, the country’s longest serving prime minister across multiple terms, has already announced that he plans to run in the national elections to be held no later than October 27.“I intend to establish a broad national government, not a right-wing government, not a left-wing government that depends on Arab parties, but a broad national government,” he said, in a televised briefing, signalling a significant shift in his political strategy.“Because only in this way, I think, can we reach internal agreements ... It means, first of all: enough with boycotts. I am not boycotting anyone. I say, everyone will be able to join; they simply need to agree to our basic principles, that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that we respect individual rights,” he added.Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks come as he himself — currently heading one of the most right wing government in Israel’s history — has been polling badly in recent surveys.By reaching across the aisle, Mr. Netanyahu appears to be trying to reframe his electoral pitch around national unity rather than ideological alignment.A recent survey showed that a majority of Israelis want him to leave office. Public opinion is critical of the war that Israel and the U.S. launched on Iran in late February, whose ceasefire talks Israel was left out of, leading to a deal between Tehran and Washington viewed by many as unfavourable to Israel.Deal with Lebanon ‘historic’ for IsraelPM Netanyahu on Saturday (June 27, 2026) also hailed the U.S.-brokered agreement with Lebanon, calling it a historic achievement that dealt a blow to arch-foes Iran and Hezbollah."Yesterday ... we achieved a historic deal for the state of Israel after direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon," Mr. Netanyahu said in a televised briefing. "This is a blow to Iran and Hezbollah."Mr. Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces would remain in the so-called security zone established by the military some 10 kilometres (six miles) inside the Lebanese territory."We will remain in the area until Hezbollah and the rest of the terror groups are disarmed," he said."Both the United States and Lebanon have recognised Israel's right to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon for as long as it remains necessary to safeguard our security."We will continue to hold this security zone until Hezbollah and all other terrorist organisations are fully disarmed and no longer pose any threat to Israel from Lebanese territory," he said. Published - June 28, 2026 03:47 am IST
