Lieberman Accuses Eisenkot of Planning to Form Government with Netanyahu

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, launched a sharp attack on Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF Chief of Staff and his bloc partner, accusing him of planning to ally with Benjamin Netanyahu after the upcoming elections. Under the headline "Gadi Eisenkot - Benny Gantz 2," Lieberman alleged that Eisenkot's political inexperience could lead to the survival of Netanyahu's government and warned against his potential capitulation to Haredi and Arab parties.

The criticism comes less than two weeks before the elections, amidst polls showing Eisenkot's "Yash!" party surging to 26 mandates, potentially at the expense of coalition partners like Yisrael Beiteinu, which has dropped to 9 mandates. Lieberman claims Eisenkot's "big party" campaign is designed to absorb votes within their bloc rather than from opposing factions, violating prior agreements and raising questions about his motives.

Lieberman interprets Eisenkot's actions as preparation for a post-election negotiation with Netanyahu, citing statements from Minister Miki Zohar, an initiative by President Isaac Herzog, and White House briefings as indicators. He also expressed concern over Eisenkot's stance on the draft law and Haredi enlistment, suggesting it would maintain the status quo of exemptions, contrasting it with Yisrael Beiteinu's consistent demand for universal conscription.

Furthermore, Lieberman reiterated Yisrael Beiteinu's firm opposition to any coalition dependent on Arab parties like Ra'am or Hadash-Ta'al, citing controversial statements by MKs Ofer Cassif and Yasser Hijrat. He concluded that Eisenkot is aiming to form a government with Netanyahu, Goldknopf, and Deri, possibly using a minority government scenario as leverage for a rotation leadership position. Lieberman characterized Eisenkot's ambition as personal rather than a genuine desire for change, comparing his political inexperience to that of other former IDF chiefs who entered politics.