Unity talks stalled; Yashar cancels meeting with Likud

Efforts to form a unity government have hit a snag: according to reports by the Jerusalem Post and Israel National News, Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot ordered the cancellation of a planned negotiation meeting with Likud representatives. The decision followed a speech delivered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the 26th Knesset's swearing-in ceremony, in which he called on opposition leaders to join a single unified government for the "need of the hour." Opposition members characterized the speech as "divisive." Further details regarding future developments in the negotiations have not yet been released.