Ex-Shin Bet Chief: Eisenkot Will Be Next PM, No Talks with United Torah Judaism

Former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen expressed strong confidence that his party chairman, Gadi Eisenkot, will become the next prime minister of Israel. "I am convinced it will happen," Cohen stated in an interview on Channel 12, adding that negotiations would reveal how this could be achieved. He clarified that his party, Yisrael Beiteinu, is not currently engaged in coalition talks with parties outside the "change bloc," which includes Yisrael Beiteinu and other parties aiming to form a new government. Cohen emphasized that discussions are confined to parties within this bloc, with no immediate plans to approach other factions. However, he noted that this approach is specific to the current stage of coalition negotiations and could change. Cohen described a recent coordination meeting of the change bloc leaders in Herzliya as "excellent," where they agreed to work towards establishing a national emergency government. This meeting occurred as the process of presidential recommendations for forming a government began, with bloc parties supporting Eisenkot to receive the mandate. "We received public trust, perhaps not maximal or as high as we wanted, but still respectable trust," Cohen said, asserting that the bloc will collaborate to replace the current government.