Netanyahu Ally Held Talks With Arab Party Leader Amid Political Maneuvering
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Nathan Eshel, a confidant of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, reportedly held multiple discussions with Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Arab Ra'am party, before and after recent elections. Eshel sought to understand Ra'am's intentions regarding supporting a potential government led by Gadi Eisenkot and to dissuade them. The Likud party stated Netanyahu was unaware of these contacts and was surprised by the revelations, while Eshel later offered a partial account of his conversations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Nathan Eshel, Netanyahu confidant, contacted Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas multiple times about government formation.
- Eshel reportedly sought to dissuade Abbas from supporting a potential government led by Gadi Eisenkot.
- The contacts occurred while PM Netanyahu publicly opposed reliance on Arab parties.
- The Likud party stated Netanyahu was unaware of Eshel's discussions with Abbas.
- Eshel initially denied, then partially explained, his conversations with Abbas.
While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu publicly denounces reliance on Arab parties for government formation, his confidant, Nathan Eshel, reportedly engaged in discussions with Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party. The revelations, aired on Channel 12 news by Mohammad Majadla, indicate Eshel contacted Abbas multiple times both before and after recent elections.
Eshel, a former chief of staff to Netanyahu, initially inquired about Ra'am's potential support for a government led by Gadi Eisenkot and sought to dissuade Abbas from such a move. Eshel specifically asked if Ra'am would enable Eisenkot to pass a conscription law, to which Abbas responded they would decide based on election results. Following the elections, Eshel reportedly approached Abbas again, asking if Ra'am would "help Eisenkot," but received no reply. Eshel then made a further inquiry about supporting Eisenkot in the Knesset, even if Eisenkot did not want Ra'am in his coalition.
These contacts occurred against the backdrop of Netanyahu's strong public statements against forming a government dependent on Arab parties. Netanyahu declared it impossible to form a government with "Hamas supporters" or one that relies on them, arguing it would undermine efforts against Iran and radical Islam. Channel 12 noted that Eshel has a history of facilitating contact between Netanyahu and Abbas, having initiated dialogue in 2019 that led to political discussions.
When initially approached for comment, Eshel denied active contact with Abbas, calling him a dangerous figure. However, after being presented with evidence of the calls, he provided a more detailed account, stating he asked Arab figures if they had "any self-respect" and would support someone who didn't want them. He claimed Abbas responded, "We will do what is good for us."
The Likud party distanced itself from Eshel's actions, stating that Prime Minister Netanyahu was unaware of the discussions and was surprised to learn of them. In their official response, the Likud stated, "Prime Minister Netanyahu was surprised to hear about these exchanges, and they were not done with his knowledge."
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