Eisenkot attacks Netanyahu: "String of lies is sickening"

Two weeks before Israel's elections, former IDF chief of staff Aluf (res.) Gadi Eisenkot, now chairman of the Yashar party, launched a sharp attack Wednesday on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an extended interview on Radio 103FM with Yinon Magal and Ben Caspit, Eisenkot responded to Netanyahu's Tuesday-night interview on Channel 14: "Sickening. I knew him in a completely different state. To hear his string of lies, I ask myself if he believes it."

Eisenkot rejected outright Netanyahu's claims that he had supported a nuclear Iran or opposed conquering Gaza. "He knew how hard I pushed him to maneuver in the Strip," Eisenkot said. "There's a limit to chutzpah."

Against the backdrop of Tuesday night's Channel 12 poll placing Yashar first with 23 seats to Likud's 20, Eisenkot projected high confidence. Still, he warned: "We're in a tight tie. We'll only decide this campaign if our public gets up and goes out to vote."

"Draft law for everyone - no loopholes"

Eisenkot detailed his legislative priorities for the first two weeks after the election: establishing a state inquiry commission, passing a universal mandatory draft law, repealing the new judicial selection law, and limiting the prime minister's term to eight years.

On the possibility of joining with chareidi parties, he made his position clear: "A senior representative came to me. I told him I would be the toughest on the draft issue, even if what stands in the way of forming the government is your loophole."

Amit Segal speculated the representative was MK Moshe Gafni, though United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher denied today the content of the remarks attributed to the meeting.

On security matters, Eisenkot proposed issuing a time-limited ultimatum to Hamas to disarm, and if they refuse, to bring about full conquest of the Strip and destruction of its military capacity. He also dismissed the Likud campaign slogan "Either right or Palestine," saying: "That's chutzpah. I never supported two states. I planned the Dahiya strategy and fought terror my whole life, and after I was discharged I suddenly became a 'leftist.'"

The confrontation between Eisenkot and Netanyahu comes amid a stormy election campaign, with both sides focusing on security issues, chareidi draft, and responsibility for the October 7th failures. Tensions have also intensified in recent days following a defamation suit filed by former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar against the prime minister.