Eisenkot rules out joining Netanyahu government, even if Trump intervenes
TEL AVIV — Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot has ruled out joining a government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he would refuse even if US President Donald Trump personally asked him to do so. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported the remarks from a closed-door meeting. Eisenkot said that if Trump invited him,…
TEL AVIV — Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot has ruled out joining a government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he would refuse even if US President Donald Trump personally asked him to do so. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported the remarks from a closed-door meeting.
Eisenkot said that if Trump invited him, he would meet the US president out of respect, but would insist that Israel’s internal political affairs must not be subject to foreign interference. His position comes as Netanyahu presses to lead any broad coalition government.
President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations with party representatives on Wednesday. Bennett’s Together, Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu and Golan’s Democrats have backed Eisenkot; with expected recommendations from the Joint List and Ra’am, he could receive backing from 67 of the Knesset’s 120 members, compared with 53 for Netanyahu’s bloc.
