Gadi Eisenkot: "I do not recommend that Netanyahu put our children to the test"

The chairman of the Yashar! party, Gadi Eisenkot, calls on the leaders of the change bloc parties, including Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, to commit in advance that the head of the largest party in the bloc will be the candidate for prime minister.

In an interview on the program "Seven" with Keren Marciano on N12, Eisenkot said that this is a principle he established upon entering politics, intended to prevent a situation in which a relatively small party demands the premiership after the elections.

"Anyone who thinks it is possible to be prime minister with six or ten mandates is mistaken, and could lead to the mandate being given to Netanyahu," Eisenkot said. According to him, such a move "actually endangers the replacement of this bad government."

When asked about the possibility of Bennett and Lieberman uniting after the elections to demand the premiership, Eisenkot responded: "We are partners in the same goal, to replace this government and bring good news to the State of Israel. Such a move endangers the ability to form a government and gives Netanyahu chances for manipulations that he can perform even if he loses the elections."

Eisenkot rejected Lieberman's claim that he is not ready for the premiership: "The statement that I am not ready is, in my eyes, not serious," he said, noting his roles in the Knesset and the war cabinet.

The IDF will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is dismantled

On the issue of the war in Gaza, Eisenkot presented a firm position: the 15-point plan states that the dismantling of Hamas's military power must occur before the IDF's withdrawal.

"The IDF must remain in the Gaza Strip until the dismantling of Hamas's military power and demilitarization. Until that is achieved, there is neither absolute victory nor victory at all," he said. He also called for opening the protocols and establishing a state commission of inquiry in the first week of the next government.

"There will be no compromise on the issue of Haredi conscription"

Eisenkot advocated for abolishing the existing arrangement and enacting a conscription law that applies to all citizens of Israel — through military, national, or civil service. He insisted on creating a directorate to verify student status and imposing sanctions on those who do not report for service.

"I tell Haredi Knesset members that there is one issue on which there will be no compromise. Even at the cost of going to new elections," he said.

"I am proud of my parents"

Addressing his background, Eisenkot stated he is proud of his parents who immigrated from Morocco, but has never viewed his origin as a political tool. He also sharply responded to those who brought his family into the political discourse:

"I do not recommend that either Yinon Magal or Netanyahu bring the children's test, because I know my children. They are already adults, very successful, who have done military service, three of them as officers in the IDF."