Eisenkot Rejects Lieberman's Call to Fire Shin Bet Chief, Demands Serious Investigation

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, stated that he does not support Avigdor Lieberman's call for the resignation of Shin Bet chief David Zini following the FlyDubai flight incident. Eisenkot told N12 that a "serious investigation" is required before any such demands are made. He added that if the investigation reveals a Shin Bet failure, then calls for the chief's resignation would be appropriate. Eisenkot also asserted that Transportation Minister Miri Regev should have resigned much earlier, given her ministry's responsibility for the incident. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences, criticizing the unprofessional management of the Ministry of Transportation, including cronyism and nepotism, and suggested that in a proper state, the minister would have resigned immediately and a state commission of inquiry would have been appointed.

Eisenkot also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating he does not believe Netanyahu will reach the 61-mandate threshold. He accused Netanyahu of attempting to delegitimize 21% of Israeli citizens and aiming to form a government that would lead to further elections. Eisenkot stated that anyone at the head of the military, security, or political system following the October 7th failures should resign, and therefore he does not see Netanyahu as a partner in any unity government. He described Netanyahu's approach as a "culture of lies" to manipulate public consciousness.

Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant discussed a hostage deal that was reportedly leaked in April 2024, causing negotiations to collapse. Gallant stated that this deal was identical to an interim deal reached in January 2025. He explained that the security establishment, including the IDF chief of staff, Nitzan Alon, the Shin Bet chief, and the Mossad chief, had supported the April deal. Gallant revealed that the mandate for the negotiation team, agreed upon by Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, and himself, stipulated a target of 33 living hostages, with a minimum of 18 triggering a deal. He claimed that the leak of the deal's details, particularly the number of hostages, allowed Hamas to know Israel's bottom line, leading to the breakdown of negotiations. Gallant suggested that Bezalel Smotrich's involvement after the cabinet discussion and subsequent public statements contributed to the leak, ultimately causing Hamas to demand 33 hostages instead of the agreed-upon 18.