Gadi Eisenkot Denies Promising to Include Ra'am Party in Future Government

Leaders of Bedouin municipalities in northern Israel claim that Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yashar!" party, promised them he would include the Ra'am party in the next government. The claim emerged after a meeting between Eisenkot and the local leaders on Tuesday, as reported by Channel 12 News.

Muaid Al-Hieb, head of the Tuba-Zangariyya local council and present at the meeting, stated in an interview with Radio Nas that Eisenkot told the leaders he did not intend to include Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in his government. Al-Hieb added that Eisenkot indicated ongoing contacts with Ra'am and his intention to work towards its inclusion in his future government.

In response to the report, Yosif Haddad, a candidate for the "Am Israel" party, expressed strong opposition, questioning the possibility of forming a government with parties that do not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, especially after the October 7th Hamas attacks. He described such a prospect as "delusional."

The "Yashar!" party vehemently denied the report, calling it "a lie and falsehood." The party stated that the alleged remarks were never made, not even implicitly. They reiterated their clear stance that any coalition partner must adhere to three core principles: recognizing the values of Israel's Declaration of Independence, acknowledging Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and commitment to service. Furthermore, the party emphasized that any party failing to recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization that Israel must destroy would not be part of their government.