Northern Mayor Claims Contacts Between Eisenkot and Abbas

The head of the Touba-Zangaria local council, Muayad Al-Hayeb, stated in an interview with Boaz Golan on Channel 14 that he heard from sources close to Gadi Eisenkot that contacts are underway between Eisenkot and Mansour Abbas. Al-Hayeb made these remarks following a meeting between eight northern local authority heads and Eisenkot.

During the meeting, Al-Hayeb reportedly asked Eisenkot that if tasked with forming a government, he should first approach center-left parties and consider including the Ra'am party in the coalition. Al-Hayeb claimed Eisenkot did not provide an explicit commitment but also did not reject the idea, stating, "There was no explicit promise, but at the same time, there was no denial of the things either." He confirmed the issue was raised in the full forum with Eisenkot's team and the local authority heads present.

Al-Hayeb also confirmed that Eisenkot agreed with his position on the demolition of homes, responding "unequivocally yes" when asked if Eisenkot agreed with his stance. The mayor further understood from the meeting that Eisenkot does not wish for parties he defined as "extreme right" to be part of his potential coalition. "I understood from him that he is not willing to sit with extreme right-wing parties and promised that in his government, illegal structures will not be demolished."