Eisenkot Warns Israel Cannot Survive Four More Years of Lies and Evasion

With less than two days before elections, Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and candidate for prime minister, delivered a closing speech on Sunday, sharply criticizing the current government's performance over the past four years. He accused the government of intentionally harming social cohesion and of failing during the war, stating it "sent fighters to the battlefield with one hand, and with the other hand, enabled mass evasion during wartime." Eisenkot asserted the government "failed in dismantling Hamas, but succeeded in dismantling the truth, by spreading lies, rewriting history, and thwarting the establishment of a state inquiry commission."

Eisenkot issued a stark warning against the continuation of the current government's rule, declaring, "Whoever thinks our Israel will survive another four years like this is living in a dangerous misconception. Evasion, failure, neglect, and lies are the way of the government of evaders. If we continue on this path, Israel will very soon cease to be the country we know. This is a final wake-up call." He presented a series of commitments with defined timelines, including establishing a state inquiry commission on the first day of a new government, forming a national cabinet to combat crime within a week, and initiating legislation for a "universal service law." He also pledged to enact a "priority law for the confrontation line" within a month to rehabilitate the north and south, and within a year, to implement a government-wide policy prioritizing those who serve and work.

Furthermore, Eisenkot reiterated his commitment to ensure Hamas no longer controls Gaza within 18 months and to mandate core curriculum studies for all Israeli students under the state stream within four years, with non-compliant institutions losing funding. He specifically appealed to Likud and coalition voters from the serving public and periphery populations, urging them to switch their support. "I know how hard it is to choose differently. But this time, it is not you who are choosing a different path. It is the Likud that has strayed from the path," Eisenkot stated, promising to form a "Zionist, stable recruitment government."

Concluding his remarks, Eisenkot addressed the political landscape, cautioning against complacency within the "change bloc" and warning of Prime Minister Netanyahu's attempts to prevent a clear electoral outcome. "Remember, Netanyahu wants a tie. Only then can he claim he needs to stay in office," he argued. "Netanyahu does not have a majority. He prefers more elections. He wants to trap Israel in a transitional government led by him. I will not let that happen." He emphasized that his party finishing significantly ahead of Likud is a necessary condition for forming a stable government and preventing further election cycles, warning that the coming day would be filled with "spins and lies" from his political rivals.

Eisenkot ended by reflecting on the heavy price paid by Israeli society and himself, vowing to do everything to be worthy of that price and to lead a united Israel as a Jewish, democratic, liberal, and egalitarian state.