Bennett Camp Reportedly Deepens Criticism of Lapid as Eisenkot Gains Ground

Political correspondent Michael Shemesh of Channel 13 said on Radio 103FM that there is sharp criticism in Naftali Bennett’s circle over his political partnership with Yair Lapid. According to Shemesh, people around Bennett believe the campaign has suffered from two major “blows,” Lapid and adviser Lior Horev, and that the alliance is widely seen as a major political mistake.

Shemesh said the joint party has been steadily falling apart and that there is now a growing interest in cutting losses. He said, “Everyone understands that this match is not successful, and not only that, it is a huge political mistake.”

He also discussed Gadi Eisenkot’s standing and said he is gradually becoming the leading figure in the bloc opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It is quite clear that Eisenkot is the candidate against Netanyahu,” Shemesh said.

In Shemesh’s telling, Eisenkot recognized his political potential in time and chose not to join an earlier move Bennett had proposed, which would have put him in second place. “If he had done that, it could have been the mistake of his life,” Shemesh said, adding that Eisenkot is now stronger than Bennett “in every parameter.”