Jonathan Shaleh: Gadi Eisenkot endangers Israel's security

Jonathan Shaleh, a 23-year-old newcomer to politics who joined Naftali Bennett and became one of the more controversial figures in the coming election, was heard in recordings from a house meeting making blunt comments about his allies and rivals. The recordings, published Monday evening by Emiel Yerhi on I24NEWS, show Shaleh saying the alliance with Yair Lapid hurt the list in the polls and that any delay by Gadi Eisenkot is damaging the country.

According to Shaleh, the camp received offers from Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Lapid and Yair Golan. He said, "When Bennett is not in charge, the real danger is here," adding, "The unity with Lapid lowered us in the polls. Whoever does not join us is endangering Israel's security, endangering the State of Israel, period. Every day Eisenkot hesitates, the country is hurt, because when Bennett is weak, the bloc is weak. The candidate for prime minister is Bennett, not Yair, and that is completely fine."

Shaleh also said Yoez Hendel and the smaller parties should be pushed out, warning that anyone willing to endanger the country in the upcoming election has no place in politics because they would enable Benjamin Netanyahu to form a government. On the Palestinian Authority, he said he envisions a future Palestinian body that Israel could eventually reach agreements with, but argued that the current Authority is too weak to be a partner, especially amid a war on four fronts. He said Israel should help create a body that will care for Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and later become a negotiating partner.

Shaleh said more names will soon be revealed in Bennett's party, including public figures and bereaved families. He also said Bennett is ready to make any alliance needed to win, even shifting politically in any direction, and that the winning formula would be a government led by Bennett. In response, Shaleh's camp said the remarks were clumsy wording about a clear point, that the country's future depends on winning the election and victory depends on unity in the "camp of hope," and added that Eisenkot dedicated his life to Israel's security and should not be used to sow division.