From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Eisenkot vows not to serve in a Netanyahu government, even under rotation deal
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Yashar leader and election opposition frontrunner Gadi Eisenkot vows that he will not serve in a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even under a rotation agreement, amid speculation that the two could form a unity government following next week’s vote.
“I unequivocally pledge that I will not serve under Netanyahu in a rotation agreement. Period,” Eisenkot tells Radio 103FM. “If that were to happen, you would see me resign an hour later.”
Eisenkot reiterates that while he does not rule out forming a government with Likud, he refuses to serve alongside Netanyahu due to the prime minister’s responsibility for October 7, 2023.
While Eisenkot has said in the past that he opposes rotation deals and has said that Netanyahu must not be allowed to continue as prime minister, this appears to be the first time he has publicly made an unequivocal statement on the matter.
The remarks come as polls show Likud and Yashar running neck and neck, with neither political bloc currently projected to secure a majority.
President Isaac Herzog has signaled his desire to avoid a repeat of the political deadlock of 2019-2020, which saw Israel hold three elections in 11 months, signaling he would work toward a unity or rotation government should neither bloc secure the 61 seats needed to govern.
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