Netanyahu Ally Approached Arab Party Leader Amid PM's Public Criticism

Natan Eshel, a prominent associate of Prime Minister Netanyahu, repeatedly contacted Mansour Abbas, the chairman of the Arab party Ra'am, to inquire about supporting Gadi Eisenkot in forming a government. These overtures continued even after the elections, occurring concurrently with Netanyahu's public attacks on relying on Arab parties for coalition building.

According to a Channel 12 report, Eshel reached out to Abbas multiple times before, during, and after the election results were announced. He specifically asked if Ra'am would help Eisenkot, leader of the Yesh Atid party, establish a government. In one instance, Eshel questioned Abbas about whether Ra'am would enable Eisenkot to pass the conscription law in the Knesset. Abbas reportedly responded that they would wait for the election results before deciding.

Following the election results, Eshel again asked Abbas if Ra'am would assist Eisenkot, but the party chose not to respond. Later, as Netanyahu intensified his campaign against a government dependent on Arab parties, Eshel made another attempt, asking Abbas if Ra'am would support Eisenkot in the Knesset, despite Eisenkot not wanting them in his coalition.

Ra'am has not definitively closed the door on potential political cooperation, though they have refrained from responding to Eshel's recent inquiries. Eshel's connection with Abbas is not new; contacts between Netanyahu and Abbas began in 2019, with Eshel reportedly initiating the channel of communication.

This report emerges as Netanyahu publicly denounces the possibility of a government relying on Arab parties. Earlier on Monday, in a televised statement calling for a unity government, Netanyahu stated, "You cannot fight Iran and its proxies, and radical Islam, if you have supporters of radical Islam on whom you depend within the government."