Gadi Eisenkot, the Israeli prime ministerial hopeful currently tasked with forming a new government, has sharply criticized caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a lengthy social media post released on Friday, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of driving a violent and racist campaign against Palestinian citizens of Israel to secure political advantage during the election period.
Eisenkot highlighted the significant demographic shift in the country, noting that Arab citizens of Israel now constitute 21 percent of the total population. He argued that since the election campaign began, this community has faced a systematic effort at delegitimization fueled by the outgoing leader and his inner circle. He emphasized that the prime minister serves all citizens, including those who did not vote for him, and described the attempt to marginalize Arab citizens as an anti-state act.
The political tensions follow the October 27 elections, which resulted in a fragmented parliament. Eisenkot’s four-party alliance secured 48 seats, while Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc won 53 seats. Neither side achieved the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Notably, Arab-led parties representing Palestinian citizens achieved a record high of 19 seats in the Knesset.
Netanyahu has frequently raised unproven allegations of electoral fraud by Arab-majority parties, claims that Israel’s own electoral authorities have rejected. The caretaker leader has also criticized these parties for not explicitly labeling Hamas as a terror group following the October 7, 2023, attack, even though the leaders of those parties publicly condemned the assault. Eisenkot responded by stating that while one can disagree with or feel revulsion toward specific representatives, an entire sector should not be slandered.
Although Arab-led parties have endorsed Eisenkot to replace Netanyahu, he has ruled out including them in his potential coalition. Such an alliance would grant him a 67-seat bloc. Instead, Eisenkot is seeking the backing of the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, which would bring his total to exactly 61 seats, the threshold for a majority. He reiterated his intention to fulfill his mandate quickly, calling it a grave mistake to delay the formation of an emergency government.
Eisenkot has six weeks to complete the government formation process. As he ran as Netanyahu’s main rival, the two leaders remain in a complex dynamic. Eisenkot stated that he is open to including Netanyahu in his coalition and even suggested that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich would be welcome. This openness comes despite the recent political maneuvering and public disputes between the two figures.
Beyond domestic politics, the leaders are also navigating security concerns. Netanyahu is reportedly weighing renewed military strikes on Iran, a move that faces a lack of enthusiasm from the United States, his own military establishment, and Eisenkot. Eisenkot has demanded that Netanyahu avoid new escalations unless they are critical to national security.
On Thursday, Eisenkot met with Netanyahu and his military secretary to discuss the security situation, though no specific details of their conversation were made public. Eisenkot, who served as Israel’s military chief from 2015 to 2019, was an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet for the first eight months of the war in Gaza that began in October 2023. His current role places him at the center of efforts to stabilize the government and manage ongoing regional threats.
The situation underscores the delicate balance Israel faces as it moves from a caretaker phase to a new administration. While Eisenkot seeks to build a broad coalition that includes his political rivals, he remains critical of the rhetoric used against Arab citizens during the campaign. The coming weeks will determine whether he can secure the necessary support to form a stable government amid high stakes both domestically and in the region.
