Finance Minister and AI Czar: The Extraordinary Deal Bennett Offered Eisenkot | Ben Caspit

Ben Caspit reveals that on the eve of the list submission deadline, Bennett and Eisenkot met twice. Bennett sought to be number two, finance minister, and AI czar, but Eisenkot refused the merger. Caspit calls the late union between Bennett and Lapid a 'fatal mistake' that allowed Smotrich to pass the electoral threshold.

Ben Caspit reveals that on the eve of the list submission deadline, two dramatic meetings took place between Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot. Bennett, who was sliding dangerously toward single-digit poll numbers, pushed for a merger and asked to be number two, finance minister, and AI czar in the government. Eisenkot considered, checked, and refused, believing he would reach 27 or even 28 seats. The merger did not happen, and the 28 seats did not materialize either. Caspit states that the late union between Bennett and Lapid was a 'fatal mistake born of panic,' which allowed Smotrich to pass the electoral threshold and prevented Bennett from attacking Netanyahu from the right. However, he praises Bennett's heroic campaign that managed to halt the collapse and reverse the trend.