Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to form a broader coalition after the upcoming election, explicitly distancing himself from both the far-right and the left.
Netanyahu has already announced that he plans to run in the national elections to be held no later than 27 October.
"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," Netanyahu 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."
Netanyahu's remarks come as he has been polling badly in recent surveys.
Coalition draft fractures
Netanyahu's current coalition has also been shaken by a bitter dispute over whether ultra-Orthodox Jewish men should serve in the military.
Key allies have repeatedly threatened to topple the government unless their constituents are exempted from the draft, while the military argues broad enlistment is necessary.
Netanyahu said the government he envisages would help complete Israel's broader regional ambitions.
"After we have removed the Iranian existential threat, the broad national government can make peace within ourselves," he said, aiming to "change the face of the Middle East."
However, his proposal drew immediate pushback.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticised his "very disturbing" remarks, saying: "The government that Prime Minister Netanyahu must form should be a fully right-wing government."
