India, Nov. 15 -- Israeli Prime Minister-designate and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot has rejected caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public appeal to form a national unity government, describing the proposal as a political "spin" and a "trick".

The exchange began on Saturday when Netanyahu released a video statement urging Eisenkot to enter coalition talks "without preconditions" and set aside political boycotts in the interest of national security, The Times of Israel reported.

Netanyahu did not explicitly demand to lead the proposed unity government, unlike in his earlier appeals. He warned against Eisenkot forming a narrow minority coalition backed by Arab-led parties, arguing that a broad government of Jewish-majority...