JERUSALEM – Israel's opposition leader on Thursday called for a unity government and vowed to find common ground among the ideologically diverse parties seeking to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yair Lapid issued the appeal in his first speech since he was tapped by Israel's president on Wednesday to form a new government. “I believe in the good intentions of my future partners,” Lapid said. “They are different people with different views, but the fact that someone doesn’t agree with us, doesn’t make them an enemy.” President Reuven Rivlin gave Lapid four weeks to try to form a new coalition government after Netanyahu failed to meet a midnight deadline the previous day.