Israeli prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading a “racist” campaign against the country's Arab citizens, in a rare public defence of the minority group by a prominent Jewish political leader.
Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, electoral fraud by Arab-led parties in the October 27 election. He has also criticised the parties for refusing to describe Hamas as a “terror group” after the October 7 attack on Israel, which all of their leaders have condemned.
“Arab citizens of Israel are an integral part of the Israeli story,” Mr Eisenkot wrote on X on Friday.
“They have been subjected to a racist and aggressive campaign of delegitimisation, fuelled by the outgoing prime minister and those around him for political purposes,” he said. “The attempt to marginalise them and vilify them collectively is a profound violation of the principles of civic responsibility.”
“One can disagree with the representatives of the Arab parties, and one can even feel deep revulsion toward some of them, but one cannot, should not, and I will not allow an entire sector to be slandered,” Mr Eisenkot added.
Arab-majority parties won a record 19 seats in the elections last month, emerging as potential kingmakers in deciding who forms the next government.
President Isaac Herzog tasked Mr Eisenkot with forming a new government on Sunday after consultations in which the majority of political parties, including the two Arab lists, recommended him for the role.
His four-party alliance won 48 seats, while Mr Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53. Both fell short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, leaving the Arab-led parties in a position to help Mr Eisenkot secure the backing he needs.
However, Mr Eisenkot has ruled out forming a government with those parties, which would give him a 67-seat bloc.
The opposition leader, who ran as Mr Netanyahu’s main rival, has six weeks to form a new government – a mandate he said he wanted to fulfil as soon as possible, adding “it would be a grave mistake not to do so”.
