Eisenkot Vows Not to Sit Under Netanyahu Post-Election

Eisenkot outlined four core principles for any government he would join, including adherence to a Jewish, democratic, and liberal Israel, upholding the values of the Declaration of Independence, a duty of service for all, and the destruction of the terrorist organization Hamas. He expressed confidence in his ability to assemble a coalition of 61 Zionist Knesset members and vowed to prevent Netanyahu from forming a minority or transitional government. Eisenkot previously served in Netanyahu's emergency government following the October 7, 2023, attacks but left in June 2024 alongside Benny Gantz, citing a lack of planning for the war in Gaza.

Eisenkot's declaration comes one week before the Knesset elections, with polls showing a close race. A Walla poll published on Tuesday showed Eisenkot's party leading with 23 mandates to Likud's 19, while an i24NEWS poll showed Likud leading with 26 mandates to Eisenkot's 20. According to Mignews, neither major political bloc is projected to secure a majority, prompting President Yitzhak Herzog to plan efforts to facilitate a stable national unity government to avoid a political crisis.