Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot undecided on entering politics

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said over the weekend that he had not yet made a decision on whether to enter the political fray, and would not decide until a date is set for the next election.Eisenkot is considered the only game-changer outside of politics who could make a difference for a party. He is being wooed by several parties, including MK Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem Party, Yesh Atid, Blue and White and possibly the Likud.Ya’alon, also a former chief of staff, said over the weekend that Eisenkot would be his number two in Telem, which would run separately from Yesh Atid, but he later backtracked and said nothing was final. Ya’alon’s intention is to move over enough votes from the parties who could join a coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the anti-Netanyahu camp to prevent him from forming the next government.”I have received overtures from many parties, and I meet and speak to all of them,” Eisenkot said in a private conversation revealed exclusively by Yediot Aharonot political correspondent Yuval Karni on Sunday. “Nothing has been settled yet. The decision on whether to enter politics and with whom will be [made] only when Election Day is set.”Asked what his main consideration would be, he said “whether I can make a difference, have influence and bring about significant change. It is not a matter of roles and what place I would be on a list.”The newspaper quoted a source close to Eisenkot saying that the chances of him entering politics are “51%-49% one day and 49%-51% the next – and then it changes the other way.”Eisenkot is reportedly very critical of Netanyahu in his meetings with representatives of parties. He has also expressed disappointment in Blue and White leader Benny Gantz. He is thought to be not right-wing enough for Naftali Bennett’s Yamina Party.

A native of Eilat with a Moroccan background, Eisenkot is credited with being understanding of the poorest sectors of the economy, which makes him even more of a political asset. Ma’ariv reported over the weekend that his mother and his sister are haredim (ultra-Orthodox), so he would not join Yesh Atid.  Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid told KAN Radio on Sunday morning that there was no crisis between him and Ya’alon. He said Ya’alon courteously told him that he was considering running on his own before he told the press. “Bogie [Ya’alon] is my friend, and I respect him,” Lapid said. “We have different approaches about how to win the next election. I think he is mistaken, but there is still time.” Source