Gadi Eisenkot: "If Gantz has 12, it is not legitimate for him to demand the premiership""

September 10, 2022   

Gadi Eisenkot arrived at the studio tonight (Saturday). ''Meet the Press' with Amit Segal and Ben Caspit, for his first interview since entering the political system. Here are a few questions and answers from the interview: Is it true that Elkin and Sa'ar were angry about the things you were recorded saying in a homeroom class that canceling the disengagement is a disaster for the country, since they supported the law to cancel it? ""Of course I gave a broader answer, and only a small part was recorded. In the recorded part I spoke about what in my opinion is the legacy of 90% Israeli citizens - that the idea of ​​some people to promote the return of settlements to Gush Katif - is in my opinion a serious error.". You have a settler sister, right? Is she angry about the statement? ""I have a sister in the settlement. I never said things that made her angry.". Lapid offered you the dream offer. Second place, 7th and 25th place and primaries for the list. Didn't you make a mistake when you went to the list that is currently floundering in the polls? ""It was a generous offer. Much more than the offer that came from Gantz. The decision was not based on which offer would help me more. The question I asked myself was how I could serve the country better. After analyzing the political reality and consulting with people I greatly respect, I made a decision to join Blue and White-New Hope, but to promote with them the idea of ​​a state camp. My understanding is that Benny Gantz has a much better chance of forming a government.". You also said that there is a range of legitimacy below which it is illegitimate to be prime minister. What is the number of mandates? ""Since I was Arik Sharon's military secretary during his tenure as prime minister in the first round, he came with a party of 19 people and ruled with a strong hand. In my opinion, the number is high double digits. A reality in which a prime minister with 6-7 seats is in principle, but it doesn't smell good. 10 seats is not legitimate for a prime minister, nor 11 or 12. If the number of seats is low - it is not legitimate to demand a prime minister.". If Benny Gantz gets 12, won't he be legitimate for prime minister? ""I saw in the polls that there is twice as much future as Blue and White, and despite this, I chose Benny Gantz because I believe in him and the way he leads, but mainly in his ability to form a government and lead Israel stably for 4 years.". If the polls come true, will you say that Benny Gantz should not be prime minister? ""If there is a low number of seats, it will be illegitimate to demand the premiership.". An absolute majority of Change Bloc voters prefer you to join the government with Netanyahu without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich - if he gets 61 seats. What do you think about that? ""My opinion of Ben Gvir is that this is a very undesirable phenomenon in politics. Not because of Kahane and Dr. Goldstein - but because of what I saw this week. When he supports the release of a murderer in the Dawabshe family. Do we want leaders like that who legitimize such an event?"" Would you join such a government? ""Ultimately, there is a democratic game. We need to concentrate and achieve the significant achievement that will allow Benny Gantz to become prime minister with a variety of Zionist, national and state parties.". And Arabism? ""Among the Arab parties, I make a distinction between Ra'am and the Joint List, since Mansour Abbas sits in the current government and declared that he recognizes the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, in contrast to the Joint List, which also ideologically demands the state of all its citizens.". If a government were formed, what kind of minister would you like to be? ""You may not believe it, this is not an issue that came up between me and Gantz. I did not ask for a ministerial position, I asked to be in a central position in the cabinet.".