Eisenkot Urges Israeli Youth to Settle West Bank

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has called for increased Israeli settlement in the West Bank and urged young Israelis to move to existing settlements. Eisenkot stated that settlement, agriculture, and security are integral to the future of the Zionist project. His remarks were made during a tour of the Gush Etzion region, accompanied by party members Hili Tropper, Matan Kahana, Elazar Stern, and Yoav Horowitz, who heads the party's "100 Days" program.

Eisenkot announced that his party would encourage young people to settle in southern and northern Israel, as well as the West Bank, aligning with what he described as "Israel's national interest map" and within legal frameworks. He emphasized that "the legacy of Zionism, settlement, security, and agriculture is not from the past, but from the future."

During the tour, Eisenkot and his delegation met with settlers in the area to discuss military service, settlement expansion, and the reordering of national security priorities. Eisenkot also highlighted military service as a central issue for the upcoming elections, framing it as a choice "between Zionism and evading service."

He further proposed that national security requires the enactment of a national service law to increase enlistment numbers, bolster border protection, and alleviate the burden on current service members.