Lieberman Accuses Eisenkot of Seeking Coalition with Netanyahu

With 11 days until the election, Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman launched a sharp attack on National Unity Party leader Gadi Eisenkot, accusing him of aiming to form a government with Benjamin Netanyahu and Aryeh Deri. Lieberman stated that Eisenkot's "largest party" campaign is not intended to draw votes from the "draft dodgers' bloc" but rather to siphon votes within the "serving bloc" itself, contradicting agreements among bloc leaders. Lieberman alleged that Eisenkot's true goal is to emerge from the election in a strong position to negotiate a government with Netanyahu, potentially as the senior partner in a rotation.

Lieberman further claimed that Eisenkot is leaving the option of a minority government on the table as leverage to become the primary candidate in a rotation with Netanyahu. He cited comments from Minister Miki Zohar about potential cooperation with Eisenkot, President Isaac Herzog's initiative for a Netanyahu-Eisenkot government, and White House briefings as evidence supporting his suspicions. Lieberman also pointed to Eisenkot's stances on conscription and the constitution as reinforcing his concerns.

Addressing claims that he is trying to thwart a government led by Eisenkot, Lieberman reiterated his stance that his party will not sit in a coalition dependent on Ra'am or the Joint List, either directly or indirectly, since the October 7th massacre. He asserted that the way to prevent the alleged scenario is for the four bloc parties to secure a solid majority, enabling the formation of a "Zionist and liberal government" and preventing Eisenkot from "saving Netanyahu a second time."

A senior figure in the "change bloc" confirmed that Lieberman's remarks stemmed from a feeling that Eisenkot had acted against a prior agreement among bloc leaders at a meeting hosted by Yair Lapid three weeks prior. This figure stated that Lieberman was angered by Eisenkot's "largest party" campaign, viewing it as a betrayal of their agreement and potentially detrimental to the bloc's electoral success.

Eisenkot had previously stated his intention to form a minority government based solely on Zionist mandates, without seeking support from Arab or Haredi parties, as a response to Netanyahu's campaign accusing him of forming a government with figures like Ahmed Tibi and Mansour Abbas. However, Lieberman's conditions explicitly rule out any coalition with Arab or Haredi parties. When asked about forming a government under Lieberman's conditions, Eisenkot deflected, emphasizing the need for a "Zionist, state-oriented majority" to lead the country, rather than being led by individuals like Deri.