Gadi Eizenkot's Yisrael! Party Waits Until After Sabbath to Criticize Netanyahu

In an unusual political move, Gadi Eizenkot's Yisrael! party refrained from responding to a Likud statement released before the Sabbath, choosing to wait until after it ended to issue a sharp rebuttal. The party accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of spreading lies and poison instead of addressing the Israeli public's questions. Yisrael!'s statement called on Netanyahu to release full security discussion protocols, asserting that the truth could be verified through them and concluding with a call for a true leader for Israel.

Earlier, Likud had criticized Eizenkot for resigning from the security cabinet and accused him of weakness toward Hamas, calling his attacks on Netanyahu embarrassing. The tension between Netanyahu and Eizenkot comes amid a new poll showing the opposition bloc weakening, with Yisrael! holding 23 seats and Likud rising to 22.

The political friction unfolds during a sensitive security period, with Israel anticipating a possible significant U.S. attack on Iran under President Donald Trump. Yisrael!'s decision to delay its response until after the Sabbath may reflect sensitivity to the religious-nationalist electorate, highlighting the balance between political strategy and religious considerations within the opposition parties.