Eisenkot Says Unity Must Rest on Shared Values at Sde Boker Gathering

Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot said on November 15 that national unity must rest on shared values and agreement about Israel’s future. He made the remarks after gathering with colleagues at the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute near David Ben-Gurion’s grave in Sde Boker, where they discussed national security, civic responsibility and unity. Eisenkot said Ben-Gurion’s legacy called for a clear, long-term national security conception, difficult questions about reality and a defined strategy. He renewed his commitment to implement the National Security Strategy Law after a government is formed, saying he had advanced the law with Yuli Edelstein in the previous Knesset. He described the IDF as the people’s army and said everyone should contribute to Israel’s defense. A strong state, he said, also depends on reciprocal obligations between citizens and the state. “Unity is not limited to one political arrangement or another,” Eisenkot wrote, linking unity to shared values and a common understanding of the country’s future. The security-planning commitment also appears in Yashar’s public-service platform, published on October 7. That document pledges to define Israel’s national security strategy within 150 days of forming a government under the 2025 law. It also calls for coordinated government planning and measurable national goals.