Eisenkot Slams Netanyahu, Family, Calls Leadership a 'Catastrophe'

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the "Yashar!" party, launched a scathing critique of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family, stating that Netanyahu's success is a "catastrophe for the State of Israel." Speaking on radio station 103FM on Tuesday, September 22, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of lying constantly and promoting a "theory of treason" to undermine public trust in state institutions. Eisenkot asserted that Netanyahu views honesty as a weakness and uses manipulation for political survival.

Eisenkot further claimed that it took nine days after the October 7th attacks for him to convince the cabinet and Netanyahu to include the return of hostages as a war objective. This statement comes amid ongoing political debate regarding the government's decisions and accountability for the events of October 7th.

Challenging Netanyahu's image as a political strategist, Eisenkot described him as "far from being a magician." He noted that the Likud party is polling at only 18 seats, attributing this to widespread public "disgust with lies" and a demand for results. Eisenkot presented his own political alternative as a "historical mission" driven by integrity, not personal gain.

Regarding opposition parties, Eisenkot indicated ongoing coordination meetings, acknowledging disagreements but expressing confidence in their ability to unite before the upcoming elections to defeat the "failed government." He also observed the emergence of new parties positioned between the main political blocs, contributing to unstable poll results.

The Likud party responded to Eisenkot's remarks, calling them "lies" and asserting that the return of hostages was set as a goal before Eisenkot joined the government. The Likud accused Eisenkot of opposing key actions, such as the completion of the Rafah operation, and of not advocating for the elimination of Hamas leader Haniyeh or Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. The party also alleged that Eisenkot intends to form a "left-wing government" with Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, and Arab parties.