Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief tasked with forming Israel's next government, accused caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday of fueling a "racist" campaign to delegitimise the country's Arab minority. He vowed to form a stable emergency government, while extending a principled, inclusive stance toward Israel’s Arab citizens.
In a post on the social media platform X, Eisenkot said Arab citizens have faced a "racist and violent" campaign of delegitimisation driven by Netanyahu and his allies for political ends.
"Arab citizens of Israel are an integral part of the Israeli story," he wrote.
"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 added.
He called attempts to smear them as a group an "anti-state act" and said political disagreements with Arab parties do not justify attacking a whole community.
Also Read: Trump unlikely to discuss Alice Huang case with Xi Jinping at APEC Summit
In a speech this week, Netanyahu said the two Arab lists do not recognise Israel as a Jewish state. Netanyahu has also previously alleged electoral fraud by Arab-majority parties; electoral authorities have rejected those claims. Earlier, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Gedalia Axelrod, a former head of the Haifa Rabbinical Court, has invoked a religious doctrine which calls for the killing of the Jewish political leaders who cooperate with Arab parties.
Arab citizens make up about 21% of Israel's population. Their turnout roughly doubled in the October 27 election, to about 80%, and the two Arab-led lists won a record 19 seats: 11 for the Joint List and 8 for Ra'am.
Final results, certified November 4, gave Netanyahu's Likud 27 seats and Eisenkot's Yashar 21. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats and Eisenkot's 48. Neither reached the 61 needed for a majority, which leaves the Arab parties as potential kingmakers.
On November 8, President Isaac Herzog tasked Eisenkot with forming a government after 67 lawmakers, including those from the defending Arab Israelis. Eisenkot said he is pressing ahead with efforts to form a government.
