Tibi Claims Netanyahu Sent Envoy to Block Support for Eisenkot

Member of Knesset Ahmad Tibi of the Joint List alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched associates to prevent his party from joining a government led by Gadi Eisenkot and from supporting a "accused bill." Speaking on Channel 12's "Ofira - Ohana - Sarai" program, Tibi presented his phone and claimed to have received overtures from Natan Eshel, a confidant of Netanyahu. These claims surfaced after Netanyahu stated that Eisenkot could not form a government without Arab parties. Tibi directly addressed Netanyahu on air, calling him a "hypocrite" and stating that Eshel contacted him a week before the elections, the day after, and after the results were published. Tibi asserted that the goal of these approaches was to prevent the Joint List's support for the "accused bill," which could bar Netanyahu from seeking the premiership again. Tibi further recounted that a government minister contacted him two days prior behind the Knesset plenum, attempting to dissuade him from joining Eisenkot. According to Tibi, the minister advised him not to trust "them," suggesting a preference for new elections. Tibi responded that he desired a change in government, not more elections, and sharply criticized Netanyahu, accusing him of incitement and spreading hatred.

The Likud party issued a strong denial, calling Tibi's claims "an absolute lie" and part of a "series of lies by terror-supporting parties trying to legitimize themselves." The Likud added that it does not cooperate with parties it believes disrespect the national anthem and harm IDF soldiers, emphasizing that "national unity is the order of the day." Tibi is not alone in making such accusations. Member of Knesset Walid Al-Huashla of Ra'am told Al-Hurra TV that Netanyahu and Likud officials had approached his party's representatives in recent months to prevent them from joining an Eisenkot-led coalition. Al-Huashla stated these approaches occurred before and during the elections, and that Netanyahu's people also contacted him personally before the State Comptroller elections. Meanwhile, Ra'am and the Joint List recommended President bestow the mandate to form a government upon Gadi Eisenkot, while the Likud and Shas recommended Netanyahu.