Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a public debate ahead of the upcoming elections, after the premier’s Likud party released a video on Tuesday claiming Eisenkot would be unable to form a government with the support of Arab parties.
Eisenkot’s Yashar has risen in the polls in recent weeks, coming close to being the largest party in the opposition bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu. In most polls, he falls not far behind former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s Together Party, which trails behind Likud.
Likud’s video claims that Eisenkot has no way to form a government without the Arab parties. The clip shows Arab party leaders calling for a Palestinian state, and adds that, without the support of Hadash-Ta’al Party leader Ayman Odeh and Ra’am Party leader Mansour Abbas, there “is no Eisenkot.”
In response, Eisenkot directly challenged the prime minister, saying, “Netanyahu, enough with the incitement videos... set a date and a place. Come to a public debate.”
‘We’ll answer the public’s questions. A true leader speaks with the public,” he added.
Most parties in the opposition bloc have rejected forming a government with the Arab parties.
Until now, Likud has released numerous posts and videos targeting the Bennett-Lapid alliance, often using AI to depict them as partnering with Arab parties.
Opposition remains opposed forming coalition with Arab parties
Bennett’s party filed a police complaint in January against Likud for forging a picture of him, in which he appeared to be celebrating with Arab party leaders alongside Lapid. He also filed a petition to Israel’s Central Elections Committee over the forged picture at the time.
In 2021, the Ra’am Party (United Arab List) joined the coalition during the Bennett-Lapid government, marking the first time an Arab party was a formal member of a governing coalition. The Together Party has said that it would not form a government with an Arab party again.
Together has also repeatedly called on Eisenkot to join and be second on the party’s list after Bennett. The Yashar leader has not accepted their offer, and instead pointed out that it is better to focus on doing what is necessary to gain the most votes in the opposition bloc.
Eisenkot has called to form only a government with those who support universal conscription to the IDF, and has vowed to conduct a state commission of inquiry into the government’s handling of the October 7 Hamas attacks if elected.
He previously served as IDF chief of staff, and he entered politics during the 2022 elections.
Eisenkot later served as second-in-command in the Blue and White Party led by MK Benny Gantz, before leaving the party in June 2025 and resigning from the Knesset.
In September 2025, he launched his new centrist party, Yashar. Eisenkot lost his son and two nephews during the Israel-Hamas War and has said that the loss has pushed him to take action to improve the country.
General elections are set to take place no later than October 27.