A unity government is a government based on a broad coalition, the members of which also include representatives of rival parliamentary groups. In Israel, a unity government may be based on rotation of the prime minister (and usually of additional ministerial positions) in the middle of the term of government, but in practice, most unity governments do not include rotation. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, there have been several prominent examples of unity governments, some of them based on rotation of the prime minister. Unity governments in Israel were formed in response to severe national crises or to situations of political deadlock, and they have been characterized by a high level of functioning during national crises, on the one hand, and on the other, a lack of effective functioning on issues outside the national consensus.

The emergency unity government formed in Israel in October 2023 is a national unity government that includes centrist opposition lawmakers. The government was established to display Israels determination to fight the war with Hamas in Gaza. The unity government includes former Defense Minister Benny Gantz and members of his small centrist party, who joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition. The government is focused only on issues of war and will not promote any unrelated policy or laws, except those related to the continuing fighting with Hamas in Gaza.