Former war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a public debate, according to Israeli media reports. Political commentator Avi Shushan assessed that Netanyahu will not agree, and if he does, the Likud leader would 'bury him.'
**This evening —** Former war cabinet minister and former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a public debate, according to reports circulated by Israeli media and political commentators. The reports follow Eisenkot's previous challenge to Netanyahu on June 9, when he called on him to stop what he termed 'incitement videos' and face a public argument — a call the Prime Minister did not publicly address at the time.
Political commentator Avi Shushan, cited in the reports, assessed that Netanyahu will not accept the invitation, and that if he does, the Likud leader would 'bury him' in a debate. The sharp assessment reflects the current tensions within the Israeli right-wing bloc, where the main opposition bloc (including Bennett, Eisenkot, and others) has been attempting to form a unified challenge to Netanyahu ahead of any potential election campaign.
As The Zioneer reported on June 16, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett publicly called on Eisenkot to enter merger talks, saying he knows how to defeat Netanyahu. Eisenkot's direct invitation to the Prime Minister now escalates the public jockeying. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu will respond.
- DevelopingEisenkot Challenges Netanyahu to Public Debate
- StrongBennett calls on Eisenkot to join him for merger talks, says he can beat Netanyahu
- DevelopingGadi Eisenkot hints he would partner with Netanyahu
- DevelopingFormer minister Gadi Eisenkot slams Netanyahu's statement as offering no real answers
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