Just not Ra'am: Eisenkot fell into Netanyahu's trap
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, found himself in a political ambush by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the question of including Ra'am in the coalition. Eisenkot was forced to clarify his position after Netanyahu claimed he explicitly said he would bring Ra'am into the government. Commentator Merav Batito analyzes the media trap and the difficulty for leaders of the change bloc to admit cooperation with Arabs.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, found himself in a well-planned political ambush by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the question of including the Ra'am party, led by Mansour Abbas, in the coalition. Netanyahu claimed that Eisenkot explicitly said in a closed meeting that he would bring Ra'am into the government he would form. Eisenkot strongly denied this, published video documentation from the meeting, and clarified that he did not discuss the composition of the future government at all. Commentator Merav Batito analyzes the media trap: Eisenkot, like other leaders in the change bloc, is required to disavow cooperation with Arabs to prove Jewish loyalty. She notes that Netanyahu himself courted Abbas in 2021, promised him budgets and the repeal of laws, and invited him to the Prime Minister's Residence. Batito argues that the fear of opposition leaders to admit coexistence reflects a leadership fixation and mirrors Netanyahu's legacy. She quotes Amichai Shikli, who said "it's foolish to reject Abbas's courage" as a right-wing voice unafraid to speak the truth.