Netanyahu Launches Likud Campaign, Attacks Rival Gadi Eisenkot
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched Likud's election campaign, attacking rival Gadi Eisenkot and framing the vote as a choice between right and left.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the Likud party election campaign on Thursday evening, framing the upcoming vote as a decisive choice between the right and the left. The centerpiece of his speech was a direct attack on political rival Gadi Eisenkot, alongside claims of credit for halting Iran's nuclear program and military achievements across multiple fronts.
The Campaign Launch and Attacks on Rivals
Addressing supporters, Netanyahu targeted Eisenkot, accusing him of defeatism and claiming that his rival sought to capitulate to Hamas dictates and opposed actions against Iranian leadership. "It is no wonder that all of Israel's enemies want Gadi Eisenkot to win and us to lose," he stated.
"It is no wonder that all of Israel's enemies want Gadi Eisenkot to win and us to lose," Netanyahu declared during the campaign launch.
Netanyahu also criticized Eisenkot's campaign management and warned that any future government not led by the Likud would establish a Palestinian state. He cautioned voters against supporting parties that might fail to cross the electoral threshold or transfer votes to Avigdor Lieberman.
Security Achievements and Regional Shifts
A significant portion of the address focused on recent security achievements, with Netanyahu asserting that Israel averted destruction. He claimed that timely Israeli operations prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, leaving Tehran severely weakened.
Netanyahu reviewed the current deployments of the IDF, noting that troops operate deep within the Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon, and the West Bank. He concluded by emphasizing that the elections present a fundamental choice between the right and the left, dismissing centrist parties as a political bluff.
