Trump Surrogates Discuss Israeli Coalition Including Netanyahu and Eisenkot
US officials are split on the proposal, which Netanyahu says would ease forming a moderate coalition after the election.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
Surrogates for President Donald Trump discussed with Israeli officials the structure of a governing coalition pairing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Yishai party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, The Washington Post reported.
A Likud official quoted in the report said Eisenkot lacks the resolve Netanyahu has, and added that Trump seeks a stable and reliable Israeli government formed as soon as possible after the election. Officials inside the Trump administration disagree over whether such a coalition should proceed.
Netanyahu told US officials that Eisenkot would be the most capable partner if hostilities resume between Israel and Iran, the report said. He also told US and European officials that a partnership with Eisenkot would allow him to assemble a more moderate coalition.
The proposal has drawn criticism from within Israeli politics. Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the Prime Minister's Office of pledging to European countries that the next government would exclude him, saying, "Instead of bringing votes from Eisenkot, they are trying to lower me below the threshold." He said Netanyahu also announced he would not reappoint him Minister of National Security.
The Israeli election has not yet been held. The Washington Post report appeared Monday, and Ben-Gvir's comments came the same day.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
