War cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, saying in an interview that the notion of achieving complete victory over the terror group was unrealistic. He also hinted at the need for new elections within months to restore public trust in the government, particularly following the devastating attacks that occurred on October 7th.

Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, conducted the wide-ranging interview with Channel 12 that touched on various aspects of the war, including the personal toll it has taken on him and his family. Eisenkot’s son, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, lost his life while fighting in Gaza in early December, followed by his nephew, Sgt. Maor Cohen Eisenkot, aged 19, just a day later.

The timing of the interview coincided with Netanyahu’s rejection of the idea of holding elections in the midst of a war, which he indicated could continue into 2025. Netanyahu vowed to “achieve complete victory” over Hamas.

Eisenkot isn’t buying it.

“Whoever speaks of absolute defeat is not speaking the truth. That is why we should not tell stories… Today, the situation in the Gaza Strip is such that the goals of the war have not yet been achieved,” he said.

When asked whether the current leadership in Israel is being truthful with the public, Eisenkot responded with a simple “No” and appeared to criticize Netanyahu’s reluctance to take direct responsibility for the intelligence, military, and leadership failures related to the October 7th attacks. Eisenkot emphasized the need for leadership that can “tell the truth to people” and chart a clear path forward.

Eisenkot also called for elections to be held in the coming months to restore the public’s trust in leadership.

“It is necessary, within a period of months, to return the Israeli voter to the polls and hold elections in order to renew trust because right now there is no trust.”

Pressed to respond to Netanyahu’s assertion that holding elections during the war would harm public unity, Eisenkot countered, “The lack of trust from the Israeli public in his government is no less serious.”

Eisenkot also revealed that he and National Unity leader Benny Gantz, another former IDF chief of staff, had prevented Israel from launching a preemptive attack on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon in the days following the October 7th attacks.

Eisenkot disclosed that on October 11th, Israel was on the brink of striking Hezbollah, but he and Gantz were successful in persuading officials in the war cabinet to delay the action.

“I think our presence there prevented Israel from making a grave strategic mistake,” he said, adding that attacking Lebanon at that time could have triggered a regional war involving Hamas, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, overshadowing the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Although there have been daily clashes along the Israel-Lebanon border, a full-scale war has thus far been averted.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)