Israel Defense Minister Rebukes Eisenkot's Call for Military Defiance
Defense Minister Israel Katz denounced opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot for urging the armed forces to ignore directives from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing the appeal as anti-democratic.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, condemned opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot on Wednesday for urging senior military officials to resist post-election pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Katz wrote on X that Eisenkot’s call for the military to disregard the prime minister’s, his, or other security authorities’ directives “is an anti-democratic statement detached from reality.”
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff, told supporters after the election that Netanyahu was a caretaker prime minister without a mandate and that the armed forces should serve the state rather than the premier. He added, “Stand firm in the face of any attempt to challenge you. You have my unequivocal backing. Netanyahu, do not dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.”
Netanyahu has repeatedly warned of renewed strikes against Iran, a stance that has drawn criticism from the UN human-rights chief and raised concerns about the legality of Israel’s military actions. Analysts note that while a caretaker government retains the same legal powers as a regular one, it is expected to exercise restraint, especially on major security decisions such as going to war.
The election, the first since the October 7, 2023 attacks, left Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc slightly ahead but short of a majority, making Arab parties potential kingmakers. Israel’s president is expected to consult party leaders before tasking a candidate with forming a coalition government.