Likud says Gadi Eisenkot is breaking promises in bid to form a government

Israel's Likud party has accused Gadi Eisenkot and his political partners of going back on their commitments to voters by working to build a government with what Likud described as parties that support terror. The statement was circulated on the Telegram channel of political journalist Amit Segal, who published the party's text in full.

In the same statement, Likud charged that Eisenkot and his allies had abandoned the drafting of ultra-Orthodox men into the military in pursuit of power, and urged that the move be stopped. The Hebrew news outlet News.co.il reported the attack as a sharp one, summarising Likud's claim that Eisenkot had set aside the conscription demand for political reasons.

What Likud said

The statement is short and made three linked accusations. First, that Eisenkot and those working with him are trampling on the trust of Israeli citizens. Second, that they are breaking every promise they made about cooperation with parties Likud describes as supporting terror, and are now trying to form a government with them. Third, that after what Likud called 4 years of unrestrained attacks on the Haredi public, they are dropping the demand for ultra-Orthodox conscription out of a desire to govern.

The statement closes with a call that this must not be allowed to happen. Neither report carried a response from Eisenkot or from any of the parties referred to.

Who Gadi Eisenkot is

Gadi Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the country's military, who moved into politics after leaving the army. He is a figure in the camp opposed to Likud, the right-wing party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The statement refers to Eisenkot together with unnamed "partners", which in Israeli political language usually means allied parties or leaders in a prospective coalition.

How Israeli coalitions work

No single party has ever won an outright majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Governments are formed by coalitions of several parties, and the question of which parties a leader is willing to sit with is one of the most contested issues in any Israeli campaign or coalition negotiation. Candidates frequently make public pledges ruling partners in or out, and opponents then hold them to those pledges, which is the core of Likud's charge here.

The phrase "parties that support terror" is a political characterisation used by Likud. The statement does not name the parties it means, and neither report identifies them.

The Haredi draft dispute

Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, Jews have for decades been largely exempt from Israel's compulsory military service, with many men studying full time in religious seminaries instead. Whether and how to conscript them is among the most divisive questions in Israeli politics. Parties representing the Haredi community have traditionally opposed conscription, while many other parties, including figures in the opposition, have campaigned for broader service obligations.

Likud's statement accuses Eisenkot of having attacked the Haredi public over a long period and now abandoning the draft demand. That framing suggests Likud believes Eisenkot is seeking support from Haredi parties, though the statement does not say so directly and neither report names any Haredi party as a partner in talks.

What the reports do not say

The two reports carry Likud's statement and nothing more. They do not identify which parties Likud describes as supporting terror. They do not describe any specific negotiation, meeting or agreement between Eisenkot and other parties, and they do not say what event prompted the statement. They do not say whether an election has taken place or what the current parliamentary arithmetic looks like.

Neither report includes a reply from Eisenkot, his allies or any party mentioned by implication, and neither offers independent evidence that Eisenkot has changed his position on Haredi conscription or on any coalition partner. The accusations remain Likud's claims.