Eisenkot Rules Out Arab Party from Government Over Hamas Stance

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the 'Yash' party, stated on Channel 12's 'Meet the Press' that the Arab party Ra'am will not be part of his government due to its leader Mansour Abbas's refusal to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Eisenkot outlined three core principles for his government: Jewish and democratic values, adherence to the Declaration of Independence, and mandatory service. He recently added a fourth principle: recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be destroyed. Eisenkot believes no Arab or Haredi party currently meets these criteria, including Ra'am, thus precluding them from his government.

The Likud party responded by accusing Eisenkot of lying and stating he cannot form a government without figures like Yair Golan, Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett, and Arab parties. Yoav Segalovitz, ranked second on Ra'am's Knesset list, countered that true leadership requires standing firm against the Likud's fear-mongering campaign and that Israel needs deep reform and genuine partnership, asserting Eisenkot will not form a government without Ra'am.

While Abbas has repeatedly condemned the October 7th massacre, he has avoided labeling Hamas a terrorist group. In a recent interview, he explained the dilemma: calling for Hamas's destruction could be interpreted as a call for the destruction of two million Palestinians in Gaza, while not calling them a terrorist organization would make him an enemy of the people. Segalovitz, however, stated in the same interview that Hamas is a terrorist organization that must be destroyed.

Eisenkot also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's UN address, calling him a "pathological liar" who falsely claimed victory on all fronts. Eisenkot asserted that Netanyahu views an "eternal war" as a tool for political survival and initially did not want to include the return of hostages as a war aim, claiming he persuaded Netanyahu on this point. Eisenkot concluded that the upcoming elections are about ensuring Israel remains a "Jewish, liberal, strong state," and not a nation that "dwells alone."