Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot said he hopes Yuli Edelstein serves as a model for other Likud members unwilling to compromise national security for narrow politics. Eisenkot recalled working alongside Edelstein on the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee to advance genuine conscription legislation and the National Security Strategy Law.
Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot praised outgoing Likud MK Yuli Edelstein on Friday evening, saying he hopes Edelstein's decision to leave the party will serve as a model for other Likud members who prioritize national security over political survival.
In a statement released by his party, Yesh Atid–Yashar, Eisenkot recalled serving alongside Edelstein when the latter chaired the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Together, Eisenkot said, they worked to advance a genuine conscription law to strengthen the IDF and passed the National Security Strategy Law — one of the most important pieces of legislation in the current Knesset.
"We disagreed and did not see eye to eye on everything, but his decision to put Israel's well-being first deserves all appreciation," Eisenkot said. His remarks come shortly after Edelstein announced his departure from Likud and his intention to form a new political framework aimed at national unity, as The Zioneer reported earlier Friday. The broader context is a rising internal debate within Likud over the coalition's conscription policy and proposed Basic Laws that critics say institutionalize draft evasion.
3 developments
- DevelopingEdelstein tells N12 he can no longer justify Likud policies, will form new unity government framework
- DevelopingYuli Edelstein expected to leave Likud, reportedly in talks with Erdan, Shaked
- DevelopingLikud tells ministers: We will not sit under center-left figures like Eisenkot
- StrongTelegram analysis warns Likud against ethnic-bloc campaigning, says it could boost Eisenkot
Source and signal
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- Internal intake