Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, leveled sharp criticism against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. Eisenkot accused the premier of fueling a violent and racist campaign against Arab citizens in the wake of the October 27 Knesset election. The former commander was tasked by President Isaac Herzog on Sunday with the mandate to form a new government.
Eisenkot’s comments followed the inauguration of the new Knesset on Tuesday. In that session, parties within Netanyahu’s current coalition secured only 53 of the 120 available seats. Conversely, parties that endorsed Eisenkot for the premiership hold a majority of 67 seats. This parliamentary reality sets the stage for the upcoming government formation process.
The composition of Eisenkot’s potential support base includes 48 seats controlled by Yashar and its allies within the Zionist anti-Netanyahu bloc. Additionally, 19 seats are held by Ra’am and the Joint List, the two Arab-led parties. Although Eisenkot and most of his allies have previously rejected these parties as coalition partners, their votes are crucial for the parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu has argued that the Arab parties stole the election and seek the destruction of Israel. He has demanded that Eisenkot join a unity government led by the premier, which would include Netanyahu’s far-right allies. This demand was reiterated in a heated speech at the Knesset on Tuesday.
In a lengthy social media statement, Eisenkot vowed to exhaust all options to form an emergency government. He stated that he intends to use his parliamentary majority to establish a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023. Furthermore, he plans to undo the contentious judicial overhaul laws enacted by the Netanyahu government.
Eisenkot emphasized that Arabs constitute approximately 21 percent of Israeli citizens and are an integral part of the Israeli story. He described them as having been subjected to a delegitimization campaign fueled for political reasons by the outgoing prime minister and his circle since the start of the election cycle.
The former chief of staff also addressed a specific controversy involving Yashar MK Elyasaf Peretz. Peretz’s mother, former presidential candidate Miriam Peretz, stated on Thursday that her son would resign if Eisenkot formed a government with an Arab party. Eisenkot expressed his trust in Elyasaf, noting a personal connection of nearly 30 years with Miriam Peretz’s family, several of whose sons were killed in service.
Following a security briefing with Netanyahu and his military secretary, Maj. Gen. Guy Markizeno, on Thursday, Eisenkot called for strict supervision of the interim government. He warned against any attempts to reap a political dividend from Israel’s security situation. Reports indicate that Netanyahu is seeking operations against Iran, despite the security establishment reportedly seeing no developments to justify an immediate action.
Eisenkot stated that Israel’s security is superior to any other consideration and should never be used for political gain. He noted that he would not disclose the contents of his conversation with the premier but made clear that he would not allow a lack of supervision during this sensitive interim period. He previously warned Netanyahu on Wednesday against taking non-urgent military action while serving as interim leader.
