Likud accuses Eisenkot of incitement after his response to an Uvda report

Likud, the party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a sharply worded statement in the evening accusing opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot of what it called "wild incitement" against Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office. The full text of the statement was circulated by journalist Amit Segal, and Netanyahu reposted the same wording on his own X account.

According to political correspondent Dafna Liel, writing on an Israeli television news channel's alert feed, the attack came in reaction to a response Eisenkot published to an investigative report broadcast by Uvda. Ynet summarised the Likud message as Netanyahu reaching out for unity while Eisenkot lashed out in "venomous" language.

What Likud said

The statement made three main points. First, it described Eisenkot's conduct toward Netanyahu and his office as shocking incitement. Second, it contrasted that with Netanyahu, who it said was extending a hand toward national unity, while Eisenkot and his political allies, in Likud's telling, put out inflammatory statements every day.

Third, and most specifically, it defended the head of staff in the prime minister's office. Likud described this official as a law-abiding citizen who had passed information to the police about suspicions of a serious criminal offence, and said he had been legally obliged to do so. The statement then asked, rhetorically, whether the chief of staff was the person who had planted envelopes of money with the suspects, and said the absurdity of Eisenkot's position was plain to see.

Netanyahu posted the Likud text on X without additional comment. As the post repeats the party statement, it reflects the position of Netanyahu and his party rather than any established finding about the underlying case.

Who Gadi Eisenkot is

Gadi Eisenkot is a former Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the most senior post in the Israeli military. After leaving the army he entered politics, and he is now one of the prominent figures in the opposition to Netanyahu's government. His military background gives his criticism of the prime minister particular weight with parts of the Israeli public, which is one reason Likud responds to him directly.

What Uvda is

Uvda (Hebrew for "fact") is a long-running Israeli investigative current affairs television programme. Its reports often prompt political responses, and in this case, according to Liel's report, it was Eisenkot's reaction to an Uvda investigation that triggered the Likud statement. None of the reports reviewed here describe the content of that investigation.

The role of the chief of staff

The prime minister's chief of staff runs the day-to-day operation of the Prime Minister's Office, managing the premier's schedule, staff and political coordination. Likud's statement does not name the official, and none of the reports identify him. The statement indicates that he provided information to the police about a suspected crime and that people described as suspects were found with envelopes of money, but it does not say what the alleged offence was, who the suspects are, or how the matter connects to the Uvda report.

The unity message

Likud framed its attack around a contrast: Netanyahu as the leader offering unity, and his critics as sources of division. The statement does not explain what specific unity initiative it is referring to, and none of the reports provide further detail on it.

What the reports do not say

• None of the reports quote or describe what Eisenkot actually said in the response that Likud is attacking.
• The content of the Uvda investigation, and the case involving the money envelopes and the suspects, is not described.
• The chief of staff is not named, and no police statement about the information he is said to have provided has been reported.
• No reply from Eisenkot to the Likud statement had been reported at the time of writing.