Lieberman Accuses Eisenkot of Personal Ambition in Government Formation Talks

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, launched a sharp attack on Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Party, accusing him of personal ambition behind his "Big Party" campaign. Lieberman alleged on social media that Eisenkot's campaign aims not to shift votes from the right bloc to the serving bloc, but to weaken parties within the right bloc itself. He claimed this move contradicts agreements made by bloc leaders on September 26 and harms their unity. Lieberman suggested Eisenkot is preparing for the post-election period, seeking to emerge stronger than the Likud and negotiate with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a position of power. He cited comments by Minister Miki Zohar about potential cooperation with Eisenkot, reports of President Isaac Herzog's initiative for a joint Netanyahu-Eisenkot government, and White House briefings as evidence.

Lieberman also criticized Eisenkot's stances on conscription and the constitution. He argued that Eisenkot's conscription plan, which allows up to 30% of a draft class to be deferred and establishes a committee to determine who qualifies as Torah scholars, effectively maintains the status quo. Lieberman recalled Eisenkot's past description of Shas as "a party with very broad Zionist components." In contrast, Lieberman emphasized Yisrael Beiteinu's commitment to universal conscription and a constitution for Israel, noting the party refused to join a coalition in 2019 over the conscription law despite pressure.

Furthermore, Lieberman stated that Yisrael Beiteinu will not join a government dependent on Ra'am or the Joint List, either directly or indirectly. He pointed to MK Ofer Cassif's signature on a petition supporting South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and remarks by MK Yasser Hijrat of Ra'am regarding Hamas in an i24NEWS interview. "Whoever wants to form a government relying on Cassif and Hijrat, so be it. Yisrael Beiteinu will not be there," he declared.

Lieberman believes Eisenkot is working towards forming a government with Netanyahu, United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, and Shas chairman Aryeh Deri. He suggested Eisenkot might keep the option of a minority government open as leverage against Netanyahu to secure the first spot in a rotation. Finally, Lieberman compared Eisenkot to former IDF Chiefs of Staff who entered politics, such as Yigal Yadin, Ehud Barak, and Benny Gantz, asserting that military experience does not guarantee political success. He urged the four bloc parties to secure a solid majority for a "Zionist and liberal" government, preventing Eisenkot from "saving Netanyahu for the second time." Lieberman expressed confidence in the bloc's victory on October 27, stating, "After four years of a draft-dodging government, after a difficult war on so many fronts and after the heavy price we paid, we must not miss the opportunity to replace the worst government in the history of the State of Israel."