David Amsalem: "Gadi Eisenkot's Natural Place is in Likud"

The Minister of Regional Cooperation, Minister in the Ministry of Justice, and Minister for Liaison between the Government and the Knesset, David Amsalem of the Likud party, spoke this morning (Wednesday) with Gideon Oko and Amichai Attali on 103fm radio. He discussed the court's decision not to allow MKs and ministers to run in the districts, and also spoke about Gadi Eisenkot before the elections and provided some surprising statements.

Regarding the Likud court's decision not to allow MKs and ministers to run in the districts in the primaries, Amsalem said: "The court's decision was a fair decision. In general, the Likud election bylaws have always established that there is the district system, and whoever is an MK cannot run in the districts. In this way, you always grow new leadership — I personally think it is a justified procedure."

He continued and explained: "Always in Likud, without any reserved spots or anything, more than 20 MKs who serve today would be replaced, that is our system. Everyone who enters the Knesset knows this, and everyone who enters as a 'Norwegian' knows this, and this essentially injects new forces and grows them within Likud — this is not something new."

Amsalem addressed the issue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reserved spots: "The Prime Minister asked for 8 reserved spots — this has never happened, it is always 2-3. I am of the position that reserved spots, certainly those that come as a result of political processes and others of those who paid prices like party mergers or as it was with Silman and other MKs, then it is logical. When there was an agreement with Gideon Sa'ar, I was happy about it, so certainly it has prices. This time there was an exceptional number in my opinion of 8 reserved spots, but it is not important — we are heading to the primaries."

Oko and Attali spoke with Amsalem about his statement yesterday regarding the primaries, when he said: "Suddenly we are talking about an organizing committee, 2,000 reserved spots, two weeks before the elections. Until today we still don't know how we are running! This is something that has never happened in Likud and must not happen in Likud. There is no such thing. Likud does not belong to any one person."

Amsalem explained the statement: "As I said — this is a party that does not belong to any one person, including the Prime Minister. Likud is a popular movement that was before the Prime Minister and will be after him and after me, Likud needs to understand this. We are a democratic party, we have institutions, a democracy that we are proud of, 150,000 members — there is nothing like it in the world. Understand — we receive over a million votes at the ballot box, and of them 150,000 are party members — almost 15%. This is the power of the party and it does not depend on one person or another."

Regarding the next leader after Netanyahu for the Likud party, Minister Amsalem said: "There is the Likud brand and there is the locomotive that leads — the Prime Minister. Even after Moses our teacher came Joshua bin Nun, Likud is not just the people — it is the ideas and the ideology. Even when Netanyahu arrived, we didn't know who would replace Begin, he was a mythological and highly revered leader, in the end they chose Shamir after him and after him they chose Netanyahu and so on. We are human beings in the end, there is a life expectancy here and I wish him long life."

"At this time that the people of Israel are in, I think that the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned Netanyahu. For the leadership of the country, I don't think there is a person in the State of Israel who is more talented. Today the State of Israel is in a huge upheaval — we have seven fronts, we are in real existential danger, and regardless of the love for Netanyahu or not — what is relevant is if this were your private business, wouldn't you want him to lead us in this storm? He is the most experienced captain, Netanyahu at this time is the ultimate person for the people of Israel. After we finish the event and get out of the danger, then come and say if you love him less or more. Even if I were a leftist, I would vote for him so that he would get us out of the situation we have fallen into," claimed Amsalem.

"On a personal level, I am very fond of Gadi Eisenkot, he is a good man, contributed to the country, paid personal prices, but that is not the question — in this situation he lacks experience, the Prime Minister is required to have certain skills. Prime Minister Netanyahu is one of the most influential world leaders in the world, we live in two worlds, when the Prime Minister lands with his plane they receive him with royal honors, and when he returns to the country they throw mud and feathers at him," said Minister Amsalem.

The Minister continued and explained how he thinks a leader should be chosen: "When you choose a Prime Minister, you don't choose people to drink coffee with them. I am personally very connected to the Prime Minister and I sit with him for many hours. Regardless, when you choose a Prime Minister, one of the criteria is not whether you like him on a personal level, this is a country — we are fighting for the existence of the Jewish people, not just the State of Israel. If I own a cannery, will I choose the worker I like the most or the worker who can save the factory and bring the biggest profit?"

Regarding Eisenkot's suitability for the Likud party, he said: "I think that by the profile of where Gadi Eisenkot came from originally, certainly I would naturally be happy if he joined Likud, that is also the way. All the Chiefs of Staff join a party, sit in the Knesset for a few years, and then prepare themselves and say they are ripe to be Prime Ministers — you cannot take a Lieutenant Colonel and say 'you are nice, let's make you Chief of Staff', it doesn't work like that."

Minister Amsalem continued and explained: "Gadi Eisenkot ultimately grew up within the IDF, he grew up in a certain group that it is known what I think about it. Most of them are leftists. I have sympathy for Gadi Eisenkot but that is not the question. I would be happy if he came tomorrow and said 'I adopt the lines of Likud, I am sobering up from the illusions regarding the Arabs, we understand after October 7th that they don't want us to live here and it is not related to what we will give or not give'. If that happens, I will help him join Likud, his natural place, if he hadn't grown up in the army, the higher probability would have been that he would integrate into Likud."