Israeli Opposition Feuds Intensify as Election Nears

Lieberman claimed that Eisenkot's "The Big Party" campaign is designed to siphon votes from within the opposition bloc rather than drawing them from government supporters, which he asserted violates agreements made by opposition leaders on September 26. Labeling Eisenkot as "Benny Gantz 2," Lieberman suggested Eisenkot aims to emerge larger than the Likud to negotiate with Netanyahu from a position of strength, citing potential cooperation with Minister Miki Zohar, an initiative by President Isaac Herzog, and White House briefings as evidence.

In response, Eisenkot urged voters to ignore the political infighting and focus on the election's objective, while Benny Gantz criticized Lieberman, accusing him of leading Israel toward a political dead end. Lieberman also reiterated that Yisrael Beiteinu would not join a coalition dependent on Arab parties like Ra'am or Hadash-Ta'al, nor would it partner with ultra-Orthodox factions, and criticized Eisenkot's military conscription proposals for failing to abolish exemptions for Torah scholars.