âI will not sit in a government led by Netanyahu,â Eisenkot was quoted as saying during a recent closed-door meeting, according to the public broadcaster, which cited unnamed sources.
Eisenkot added that he would agree to meet Trump if invited, but would oppose any US involvement in Israelâs internal political affairs.
In theory, this means Netanyahu could continue as caretaker prime minister for months and even years, with most of his powers.
This has actually previously happened: Netanyahu himself holds the record for length of time serving as a caretaker prime minister, for a year and a half between December 2018 and May 2020.
In that period, three indecisive elections were held, until Netanyahu finally formed a unity government with his main political rival.
In a post on the US social media platform X, Ben-Gvir said Netanyahu had âpromised the US administration that, following the election, he would form a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot â and without Ben-Gvir.â
His remarks came after newspaper Israel Hayom reported that US President Donald Trump is pushing for a unity government involving Netanyahu and his main challenger Eisenkot, with the Israeli premier reportedly signaling in closed-door talks that he would be willing to abandon his far-right allies to advance the Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Arab countries, including with Saudi Arabia.
Three years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, Israeli voters will decide next Tuesday whether to grant Benjamin Netanyahu yet another term as prime minister â or usher in a new era of Israeli politics.
Polling suggests a tight race between Netanyahu, leader of the nationalist Likud party, and his chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the centrist Yashar!, for control of the government.
âIsraelâs election is not a single game, but a tournament â and election day is only the opening round,â Dr Nimrod Nir of Agam Labs told The Independent.
âOur polling suggests that neither bloc is likely to secure a governing majority, leaving three possible outcomes: a unity government bringing Netanyahu together with more liberal parties, an alternative coalition backed by Arab parties, or yet another election.
The two issues the opposition has highlighted are understandably important to Israelis. For so many citizens, the disaster of 7 October and subsequent two-year hostage crisis became a crisis of faith in the state itself. Without accountability through an independent inquiry, society cannot move on. And even staunch supporters of peace cannot tolerate the rank injustice of some citizens serving and dying in wars while others are systematically let off the hook.
But what then? Israelâs war in response to 7 October has continued to devastate Palestinian society. But the past few years have damaged Israel internally as well.
In a lengthy statement, Liberman brands Eisenkot âGantz 2,â after Blue and White party head Benny Gantz, who was the main Netanyahu rival in successive elections before deciding twice to join Netanyahu-led governments.
Eisenkot had been Gantzâs No. 2 before quitting last year to form his own party, Yashar, which has become the biggest party in most opinion polls, making Eisenkot the main challenger to Netanyahu.