Feiglin open to serving under Eisenkot as PM — Kan report

Moshe Feiglin, who holds the number-two slot on the Religious Zionism–Zehut joint list in the upcoming election, told negotiators in August that he would not rule out serving in a government headed by Gadi Eisenkot, Kan News reported Sunday evening.

The statement came during coalition talks between Feiglin and Yaron Zelekha, leader of the Economic Party, as the two explored a possible merger. According to the report, Zelekha asked Feiglin to clarify his political red lines and which governments he would be willing to join.

People present in the room said Feiglin replied: "I wouldn't rule out Eisenkot as prime minister either, let's say in exchange for the Defense Ministry." He then added a jab at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Netanyahu isn't really a right-winger."

Zelekha was reportedly pleased with Feiglin's answer, as he did not want to rule out participation in any future government. Despite this, the talks between the two sides ended without agreement, for other reasons.

Feiglin later signed a technical-union agreement with Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, under which he was placed in the number-two spot on the list. The agreement allows Feiglin to operate as an independent faction in the next Knesset.

But the agreement Feiglin signed with Smotrich also includes a clause committing him to support Benjamin Netanyahu for prime minister. According to the report, the clause was inserted at Smotrich's insistence.

The agreement is not legally binding, however, and it refers to the stage of recommending a candidate to form a government to the president, not necessarily to political developments that follow.

Zehut responded that Feiglin's remarks were made in the context of examining hypothetical scenarios during the talks with Zelekha, and were not a declaration of intent to join a government led by Eisenkot.

According to the party, the scenario under discussion was the formation of a broad government in partnership with Likud, in which Feiglin would serve as defense minister and be able to implement his policies.

The party's statement said: "In this context, a scenario came up of forming a broad government in partnership with Likud, and Feiglin clarified that in such a government, where he would serve as defense minister and implement his policies, conquest, expulsion and settlement, he has no objection to a rotation in which Eisenkot would serve part of the time, exactly like the scenario Netanyahu himself agreed to only recently."

Zehut further claimed that the talks were blown up by Zelekha himself, after he allegedly defined Feiglin as "too right-wing." The party criticized Zelekha and accused him of secretly recording his negotiating partner and now releasing partial information in order to damage Feiglin.

The Economic Party, led by Yaron Zelekha, responded to the report: "We will not comment on contacts with Feiglin."