Gadi Eisenkot Denies Pledging to Include Ra'am in Future Government

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has vehemently denied claims that he promised to include the Arab party Ra'am in a future government he might form. The allegations emerged following a meeting Eisenkot held with a forum of Bedouin local authority heads in the northern Israeli town of Zarzir. Eisenkot stated, "They are saying I promised that Mansour Abbas would be in the future government that I will establish, this is an absolute lie. Whoever does not accept my principles will not be a partner."

The meeting, part of Yisrael Beiteinu's "For Israel's Sake" tour, saw eight Bedouin local authority heads express support for Eisenkot's candidacy for prime minister. They believe he can address crime, strengthen security, and bring peace to the north and the entire country. During the meeting, the local leaders presented challenges facing the Bedouin community, including development, budgeting, and issues related to the Kaminitz Law and the Nation-State Law. Some discussions reportedly touched upon legislative amendments rather than outright cancellations.

However, the situation became contentious when Mo'ed Al-Hayeb, head of the Tuba Zangaria local council, claimed Eisenkot pledged to approach Ra'am for coalition inclusion if tasked with forming a government, and that contacts with Ra'am were ongoing. Another attendee, Saleh Grefat, offered a more nuanced perspective, stating he did not hear an explicit commitment from Eisenkot to form a coalition with Ra'am. While the possibility of Ra'am joining a coalition was not ruled out, Grefat felt the support for Eisenkot among the local leaders was conditional, with the main focus being the needs of the Bedouin community.

Monir Zbeidat, chairman of the Northern Bedouin Local Authorities Forum, described the meeting as "positive and in good spirits," noting that demands regarding Arab public representation were raised. He preferred to keep the specifics of the closed-door discussion private. Yisrael Beiteinu issued a strong rebuttal to the reports, calling them "a lie and falsehood. The things were never said, not even by implication." The party reiterated that coalition participation would only be possible with parties that adhere to three principles: recognition of the Declaration of Independence, recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and service to all. They added that parties not recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization would not be part of any government they form, leaving ambiguity surrounding Ra'am's potential role.