Liberman accuses Eisenkot of planning to join forces, create unity gov't with Netanyahu

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman accused Yashar party leader and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot of plotting to form a government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party. Liberman claimed Eisenkot's campaign is designed to attract votes away from the haredi bloc, comprised of ultra-Orthodox Israelis who refuse to serve in the IDF, and redirect them to those who do serve.

According to Liberman, Eisenkot's strategy involves stealing votes from parties advocating for mandatory enlistment and then negotiating with Netanyahu to form a government once he holds more mandates than Likud. This action contradicts the unity agreements made among the bloc's leaders during their last meeting, and raises the question of what motivates this move.

Liberman also criticized Eisenkot's lack of political experience, comparing it to that of previous IDF chiefs of staff who have entered politics, including Yigael Yadin, Ehud Barak, Benny Gantz, and even Yitzhak Rabin, who needed time to gain experience after his first term as prime minister before being re-elected.