Eisenkot's mistake: leading alone won't build a coalition

The political maneuvering in coalition talks continues, and analyst Dafna Liel is dissecting the errors of Yesh! chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside the principles driving Avigdor Liberman in the negotiations.

"The Yesh! chairman made a mistake when he didn't speak in praise of his partners and didn't mention them," Liel states. "Even as the one leading the bloc, he needs to conduct himself as part of a team, without joint work, the bloc won't succeed. Right now he's projecting that he's a single leader, but to succeed he'll need to learn to work with Liberman, Bennett and Yair Golan."

The dispute: not just swearing-in, but survival

According to Liel, the central dispute between Eisenkot and Liberman isn't only about forming the government, but about the ability to sustain it over time beyond the day it's sworn in. Already within about three weeks, the passage of Judea and Samaria regulations is expected to come up, and later the budget as well, moves that will require support not only from Ra'am, but also from the Joint List.

"From Liberman's perspective, that dependence is a red line," the analyst explains. "He fears the government will fail and strengthen Netanyahu, and he's seeking to secure in advance a stable base with public legitimacy. His experience in the Knesset sharpens for him the difficulty in recruiting repeated support from the Joint List, while Eisenkot is focused on the swearing-in with the assumption that the rest of the difficulties can be solved later."