Eisenkot lashes out at Netanyahu for ‘siding’ with Palestinians

Bangla Press Desk:  Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of orchestrating a racist and violent campaign targeting Arab citizens of Palestinian descent. He stated that marginalizing a specific segment of the population and spreading malicious propaganda against them for political gain constitutes an act against the state.

Eisenkot made these remarks in a lengthy post on the social media platform X on Friday (November 13). He criticized the rhetoric and campaigns directed at Arab citizens during Israel’s recent election cycle.

Eisenkot noted that Arab citizens make up 21 percent of Israel’s total population. He alleged that since the start of the election campaign, the outgoing Prime Minister and his associates have engaged in a racist and violent campaign—driven by political self-interest—that seeks to cast doubt on the legitimacy of these citizens.

He further emphasized that the Prime Minister of Israel serves not only his own supporters but all citizens of the country, including those who did not vote for him. Arab citizens are an integral part of Israeli society and history; attempting to marginalize this group and disparage them as a whole runs counter to the interests of the state.

In the Israeli elections held on October 27, a four-party alliance led by Eisenkot secured 48 seats, while an alliance of right-wing and religious parties led by Netanyahu won 53 seats. Neither side reached the 61-seat threshold required to form a government. Notably, Arab parties—which represent citizens of Palestinian descent—won a record 19 seats.

Since the election, Netanyahu has alleged voter fraud by Arab-majority parties, claims that have been dismissed by the country’s election authorities. Furthermore, he has criticized these Arab parties for allegedly refusing to label Hamas a "terrorist organization" following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel—though leaders of those parties had, in fact, condemned the attacks.

Eisenkot stated that while one may have political disagreements with representatives of Arab parties—or even harbor strong personal animosity toward some of them—this does not justify slandering an entire population. He asserted that he would not tolerate such efforts. It should be noted that Eisenkot, who has been tasked with forming a government, has ruled out the possibility of including Arab parties in his coalition. Securing the support of those parties would have brought his coalition to 67 seats. Instead, he is seeking the backing of two ultra-Orthodox parties—United Torah Judaism and Shas—to reach a parliamentary majority; their support would give him 61 seats.

Eisenkot has six weeks to form a new government, and he has emphasized the importance of completing this process expeditiously.

Meanwhile, despite facing political pressure, Netanyahu is considering the prospect of a new military strike against Iran. However, the United States, the Israeli military, and Eisenkot himself are all opposed to escalating conflict at this time. Eisenkot has cautioned against creating new military tensions involving Iran, unless absolutely necessary.