The Trump administration is backing efforts to form a broad Israeli unity government after this month's election that could keep Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister for up to two years before handing power to opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, according to an Israeli media report.
The proposal would exclude far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and bring together Netanyahu's Likud party with Eisenkot's Yashar party, Israel Hayom reported on Friday.
The newspaper cited unnamed US and foreign political officials familiar with the discussions. Neither Washington nor the Israeli parties involved have publicly confirmed an agreed plan.
Israel is due to hold a Knesset election on 27 October.
Polls have suggested neither Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the fragmented opposition is guaranteed a stable governing majority, raising the possibility of prolonged coalition negotiations.
According to Israel Hayom, the US and regional governments believe a broad coalition would be better placed to make major decisions on ending regional conflicts and advancing President Donald Trump's wider Middle East agenda.
One unnamed foreign official quoted in the report said a fragile minority government would be unable to make the "major and decisive political decisions" the region required.
The proposed arrangement would allow Netanyahu to remain prime minister for up to two years before Eisenkot succeeded him, according to the report.
During that period, the government would be expected to work towards ending wars on multiple fronts and reaching political agreements with regional states, particularly Saudi Arabia.
The Trump administration has been pushing Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords and normalise relations with Israel.
Washington has linked that effort to other parts of the US-Saudi relationship, including F-35 fighter jets and a civilian nuclear programme.
Saudi officials have repeatedly said, however, that normalisation with Israel would require meaningful progress towards Palestinian statehood.
The issue has also become entangled with Washington's proposed nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, which Trump has said would depend on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords.
According to Israel Hayom, Saudi Arabia is also seeking a different political configuration in Israel before moving forward.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has recently met several senior Israeli politicians, including Eisenkot, the report said.
The contacts were said to have been handled carefully because of concerns over perceptions of US interference in the election.
But Israeli politicians were reportedly told that Washington and other governments would welcome a broad and stable coalition without far-right parties.
Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief, has emerged as one of Netanyahu's principal challengers in the election and leads the centrist Yashar party.
The proposed government would also seek to address domestic issues that have deeply divided Israeli politics.
These include demands for an official inquiry into the failures surrounding the 7 October 2023 attacks, disputes over the judiciary and the continuing row over exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has denied reports that he is directly involved in efforts to engineer a unity government.
He has nevertheless said he wants to avoid repeated elections and see a stable government formed after the vote.
The reported US effort comes as Israel's election remains highly fragmented, with Palestinian parties potentially playing a decisive role if neither major bloc secures a governing majority.