Ex-IDF Chief Eisenkot Criticizes Gaza Labor Policy, Links It to Oct. 7 Failures
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael! party and former IDF Chief of Staff, criticized policies that allowed thousands of Gazan workers into Israel, suggesting they contributed to the October 7 failures. He specifically mentioned the expansion of work permits under the Bennett-Lapid government, which continued under Netanyahu. The policy allowed up to 20,050 permits, with around 18,500 for economic needs plus merchant permits before the attack. This comes weeks after Eisenkot and Bennett signed a pledge not to attack each other's parties.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot criticized policies allowing Gazan workers into Israel, linking them to the October 7 failures.
- He noted that 17,000 to 20,000 workers were allowed to leave Gaza under subsequent prime ministers.
- The policy was expanded under the Bennett-Lapid government, approving 20,050 work permits in March 2022.
- The number of permits for economic needs reached about 18,500 before the Hamas attack.
- Eisenkot, Bennett, Lapid, Lieberman, and Golan recently signed a pledge not to attack each other.
- Eisenkot served as IDF Chief of Staff and is now chairman of the Yisrael! party.
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael! party and former IDF Chief of Staff, sharply criticized policies that allowed workers from the Gaza Strip into Israel, implicitly referencing former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking to Kan News political correspondent Michael Shemesh, Eisenkot stated, "My policy as Chief of Staff was that no worker would leave Gaza until I attended the funerals of Goldin and Shaul. Unfortunately, there were prime ministers after me who permitted 17,000 and then 20,000 workers to leave. This was a very serious mistake, which was part of the contribution to this failure."
Eisenkot's remarks specifically address policies advanced during the Bennett-Lapid government, which expanded the entry of Gazan workers into Israel. In March 2022, the government approved a quota of 20,050 work permits for Gaza residents as part of its economic policy toward the Strip. This policy continued under the Netanyahu government, and by September 2023, just weeks before the Hamas attack, the number of permits for economic purposes stood at approximately 18,500, alongside 3,500 merchant permits.
Notably, just two weeks prior to Eisenkot's comments, he, along with Bennett, Lapid, Lieberman, and Yair Golan, signed a joint document of principles pledging that "from today until the formation of the government, none of us or our representatives will attack a coalition party or its leader."
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