Gadi Eisenkot Rules Out Ra'am in Future Israeli Government

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the "Yash!" party, stated in an interview on "Meet the Press" that the Arab party Ra'am will not be part of any future government he leads. He outlined three core principles, plus an additional one, that any potential coalition partner must accept: upholding a Jewish and democratic state, adhering to the Declaration of Independence, fulfilling the duty of service, and crucially, recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. Eisenkot believes Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, does not meet these criteria, thus precluding them from his government.

Eisenkot also addressed the ongoing political maneuvering within the opposition bloc, emphasizing his goal to lead the largest party within the "change bloc" and aiming for 63-65 Knesset seats. He expressed confidence that if his party emerges as the largest, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett would recommend him to form a government. He contrasted this potential coalition with a hypothetical government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, which he characterized as a "deep culture of lies."

Turning to the issue of Qatari funding to Gaza, Eisenkot strongly criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu. He alleged that Netanyahu was aware of funds designated for Gaza's civilians being diverted to Hamas's military wing and failed to stop it, calling such inaction "between embezzlement and treason" and demanding an investigation. Eisenkot also recalled intelligence warnings prior to October 7th, including one from Sinwar, which he claims Netanyahu ignored, suggesting this inaction warrants a state commission of inquiry.

Regarding the war in Lebanon, Eisenkot revealed that the Mossad had proposed a plan to trap Hezbollah by planting tens of thousands of explosives, which the IDF supported. He stated he presented this plan to Netanyahu, who ultimately decided against its implementation. Eisenkot also discussed the war's objectives, asserting that they have not been met and criticizing Netanyahu's claims of victory as a political survival tactic, suggesting Netanyahu prolongs the conflict for his own benefit.