Israel: Netanyahu and Eisenkot clash over Palestinian statehood ahead of elections

As Israel 's elections draw closer, the establishment of a Palestinian state has taken centre stage in the campaigns of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his leading opponent, former army chief Gadi Eisenkot. The two politicians have traded barbs, accusing each other of supporting a Palestinian state. On Tuesday, Eisenkot posted a video on X showing Netanyahu shaking hands with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In the footage, Netanyahu can be heard expressing support for a Palestinian state. Eisenkot, who hopes to replace Netanyahu, has repeatedly rejected the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. “Benjamin is Palestine” read the caption on Eisenkot’s X account. His post said that in the 27 October elections, Israelis would have to choose between “the man who spoke in favour of two states dozens of times and will form a draft-evasion government, or a Zionist conscription government of Yashar with Eisenkot”. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Eisenkot’s Yashar party has pledged to conscript ultra-Orthodox young men into the army. It has accused the governing coalition of failing to recruit enough soldiers to meet the demands of Israel’s multi-front wars. Tuesday’s video was not the first time Eisenkot had rejected the prospect of a Palestinian state. “There is no Palestinian state, and in the government that we will form, a Palestinian state will not be established,” he wrote on X in August, responding to comments by Mansour Abbas in support of Palestinian statehood. Abbas, leader of the Arab-led Ra’am party, is seen by many opposition voters as a potential partner for Eisenkot’s bloc. His support could prove crucial in securing the seats needed to form a government. “I am against the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Eisenkot told Israel’s Channel 13 News days after his response to Abbas. “I have never said that the solution is two states for two peoples.” War rhetoric Eisenkot has also accused Netanyahu of weakness towards Israel’s enemies, while criticising what he describes as the prime minister’s militaristic campaign rhetoric. “Three years and the war’s objectives have not been achieved,” Eisenkot wrote in another post on X on Tuesday. “Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are already ready for the next round.” Amid Israel's 'forever wars', Palestinians must not abandon the one-state solution Awad Abdelfattah Read More » “Netanyahu is the king of draws,” he added, alongside a split image of the two politicians. The words “wars forever” appeared above Netanyahu, while “to win wars” appeared above Eisenkot. The post urged Israeli voters to choose between “Netanyahu’s government of draft evaders” and “a Zionist government of enlistment of fighters”. Earlier this week, Eisenkot wrote on X that “Netanyahu is Hamas’s fuel”, urging Israelis to choose between “a government of fighters against Hamas” and “a government of draft evaders that empowers Hamas”. Netanyahu responds Israelis are due to vote in less than two weeks, with opinion polls suggesting neither bloc is on course to secure the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority and form a government. Amid the heated campaign, Netanyahu has also made Palestinian statehood a central election issue, warning that an Eisenkot-led government would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. “It’s either right-wing or Palestine,” Netanyahu said earlier this month, framing the upcoming election as a choice between the two. Who is Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief challenging Netanyahu? Read More » Last week, Netanyahu posted an AI-generated video on X depicting Eisenkot and right-wing opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman stealing votes from the right. The video received 5.9m views. “Eisenkot and Lieberman will establish a Palestinian state before GTA 6 comes out,” the 76-year-old prime minister wrote, referring to the long-awaited video game. On Tuesday, Netanyahu, like Eisenkot in August, seized on comments about statehood by a Palestinian political leader to attack his main opponent. He shared on X remarks by Yousef Jabareen, a leader of the Palestinian-led Joint List alliance, about the alliance’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. “If we don’t go out to vote, we’ll get a left-wing government of Eisenkot and Lieberman that will establish a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu wrote , referring to a potential inclusion of the Joint List in Eisenkot’s bloc. “Only a vote for Likud will stop this,” he added, referring to his own party. Copyright © 2014 - 2026 . Middle East Eye. All rights reserved. Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. Middle East Eye ISSN 2634-2456