Tibi Says Netanyahu Aide Urged Him Not to Back Eisenkot; Likud Denies It

MK Ahmad Tibi said in a televised interview on Friday evening that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's side had approached him to discourage support for Gadi Eisenkot. Tibi displayed his phone while discussing messages from Natan Eshel, Netanyahu's close adviser. Likud rejected his account as an outright lie. Tibi alleged that Netanyahu had sent Eshel to him a week before the election, the day after it and after the results were published. He said the approaches sought to prevent support for legislation he referred to as the "defendant law." He also alleged that Netanyahu's side had tried on election day to discourage his side from joining Eisenkot. Tibi described a separate approach by an unnamed minister from Netanyahu's government two days before the interview, behind the Knesset plenum. According to Tibi, the minister argued that Eisenkot's side would not bring them into government and that another election would be preferable. Tibi said he opposed another election and wanted Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir removed from power. He said Netanyahu's recent Knesset speech had prompted his disclosure. Likud accused the parties concerned of using falsehoods to legitimize themselves. It said it would not cooperate with parties that disrespect Israel's national anthem and harm IDF soldiers, and called for national unity.