Netanyahu associate in talks with Mansour Abbas to prevent support for Eisenkot government

Channel 12 reports that Nathan Eshel, an associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is in contact with Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas to persuade him not to support a government led by Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu runs a public campaign against relying on the Arab parties, his close associate Nathan Eshel is conducting secret talks with Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas. Eshel, a former chief of staff to Netanyahu, is trying to convince Abbas not to support a government headed by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot. During the conversations, Eshel asked Abbas: "Will you help Eisenkot in the Knesset, even though he does not want you in the coalition?" and also asked whether Abbas would allow Eisenkot to pass the "indictment law." The contacts take place against the backdrop of Netanyahu's attacks on a possible cooperation between Eisenkot and the Arab parties. Just today, Netanyahu said that "you cannot form a government with supporters of Hamas."