Eisenkot letter urges Netanyahu to hold off on security moves until new government

Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, has sent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a formal letter asking him to show restraint and to avoid what he called dangerous moves before a new government takes office. Excerpts were carried by the Telegram channel of commentator Amit Segal, which said the appeal came against a background of security tension. According to those excerpts, Eisenkot told Netanyahu that such moves could wait for the swearing-in of a new government, and warned him not to put the heads of the security services into a serious constitutional conflict.

Ynet reported a further line from the letter: that using the security forces in the absence of an immediate threat could bring devastating consequences for democracy. The Times of Israel described Netanyahu as a caretaker prime minister and noted that the letter makes no mention of Iran, though it arrives amid reports that Netanyahu wants military action there despite objections from security chiefs.

What Eisenkot wrote

Eisenkot published part of the letter himself in a post on X, describing Netanyahu as the outgoing prime minister. In that post he said Israel faces a challenging and volatile security situation, and that in recent weeks very troubling reports had appeared about outside considerations entering what he termed the "holy of holies", Israel's security. The Hebrew phrase refers to the innermost sanctum of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and is used in Israeli speech for something that should be beyond politics.

In the excerpt he posted, Eisenkot wrote that he was demanding national responsibility from Netanyahu during this sensitive period. He said the restraint he was asking for should last until a new government "wins the confidence of the Knesset", and he urged Netanyahu not to damage public trust in state institutions and in how decisions are made. These are Eisenkot's own words and characterisations; the reports do not establish what the "troubling reports" he refers to contain.

Different framings of the backdrop

The outlets that carried the letter described its context in different ways, and none of them contradicts the others outright. Amit Segal's channel and News.co.il spoke generally of security tension. N12, the news arm of Israel's Channel 12, said the appeal followed a dispute between Netanyahu and the military chief of staff, Zamir, which it said Channel 12 News had exposed. The Times of Israel tied it to talk of action against Iran. The letter, as quoted, names neither Iran nor Zamir.

A transitional government

Israel elects its parliament, the Knesset, and a government takes office only after it wins a confidence vote there. Until that happens, the outgoing cabinet continues to run the country as a transitional, or caretaker, government. The Times of Israel reported that the 26th Knesset was sworn in on November 10, 2026, which means the new parliament is seated but a new government has not yet been formed.

Eisenkot's argument rests on that gap. His letter, as reported, does not say Netanyahu lacks the authority to act; it says major security decisions taken now, without a direct and immediate threat, would put the defence establishment in a difficult position and could harm democratic norms. The reference to a "constitutional conflict" suggests concern that security chiefs could be asked to carry out orders whose legitimacy is contested during the transition.

Who Eisenkot is

Eisenkot heads Yashar, a party in the incoming Knesset, and is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Israel's military. That background gives his warning about the relationship between political leaders and security chiefs particular weight in Israeli debate, though it remains a political intervention by an opposition figure.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports includes a response from Netanyahu or his office, or from the military. No outlet has said what specific security action, if any, is under consideration, and the claim that Netanyahu seeks action against Iran over the objections of security chiefs is attributed to reports cited by The Times of Israel rather than confirmed. The substance of the dispute between Netanyahu and Zamir described by N12 is not set out in the material.