Eizenkot: The United Arab List Will Not Be Part of the Next Government

Tel Aviv - Afaq News - The head of the "Yeshar" party, Gadi Eisenkot, said on Saturday evening that the United Arab List "will not be part of the next government" that he seeks to form, explaining that his party will not sit with any party that does not adhere to three conditions he set, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be eradicated.

Eisenkot added, in an interview with Channel 12, that the conditions he specified include establishing a Jewish and democratic state, commitment to the values of the Declaration of Independence, and the duty of service, along with the condition he recently added regarding Hamas.

In response to a question about the possibility of the United Arab List participating in his government, he said: "Since they do not accept the three rules, including recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization that must be eradicated, they will not be part of the government."

Eisenkot's statements come after controversy sparked by previous reports that he pledged to include the United Arab List in a future government led by him, which Eisenkot and his party categorically denied, affirming that any party that does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization cannot be a partner in the government.

Eisenkot: The goal is to obtain 63 to 65 seats.

Eizenkot stated that he is working to secure a large number of seats for his party within the Change Bloc, noting that he aims to secure a majority ranging between 63 and 65 seats.

Regarding the upcoming meeting with the leaders of the Change Bloc parties, he said that the essence of the meeting is how to achieve victory in the elections, not the disagreements between the parties.

He added that he believes the Israeli public will determine the political choices through the elections, and what guides him is how to achieve the goal and win the elections.

Code of conduct for party members

Eizenkot addressed the code of conduct that his party members signed, stating that the list members are committed to engaging differently in political life.

He explained that if disagreements arise regarding electoral commitments, choices, ideologies, or political approaches, the way to deal with them, according to him, is to submit a resignation letter.

He said: "If I do not adhere to my commitment, I expect each one of them to take a stand," adding that loyalty, in his words, is not to him personally but to the State of Israel.

Criticism of Netanyahu and the Qatari funds file.

Eizenkot also addressed the issue of Qatari funds that were transferred to the Gaza Strip over the past years, stating that he insisted at the time that the funds reach civilians through a monitoring mechanism.

According to his account, the head of the Israeli Security Agency "Shabak" at the time, Nadav Argaman, informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 of intelligence indicating that Hamas's military wing decided to obtain a portion of the funds that entered the sector.

Eizenkot claimed that Netanyahu decided nonetheless not to stop the transfer of funds, considering that the matter requires investigation.

He also spoke about warnings that preceded the events of October 7, stating that the "Shabak" conveyed a warning to Netanyahu in September regarding the possibility of a "serious act" by Hamas leadership, adding that he sees the necessity of forming a committee to investigate what happened.

His positions on the war and Lebanon

Eizenkot addressed the war in Gaza and Lebanon, stating that he pushed, according to his account, for the implementation of military plans against Hezbollah, but at the same time spoke about the necessity of reaching arrangements that would ultimately lead to the disarmament of the party in southern Lebanon.

He criticized Netanyahu's management of the war, stating that the war's objectives, in his estimation, were not fully achieved, except for the return of the captives, a matter he said required effort on his part to convince Netanyahu to include it among the war's objectives.

He also addressed his position on the establishment of a Palestinian state, stating that he has not called for the implementation of a two-state solution at this stage, considering that the discussion about establishing a Palestinian state at the present time is unrealistic from his perspective.

Eizenkot concluded his remarks by saying that the upcoming elections, from his point of view, are not only about the traditional division between the right and the left, but also about the identity of the state and the nature of its leadership.