Prime ministerial hopeful Gadi Eisenkot accused caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fuelling a “racist and violent” campaign against Palestinian citizens of Israel during the elections, Al Jazeera reports.

“Arab citizens of Israel make up 21 percent of the total population. Since the start of the election campaign, they have faced a racist and violent campaign of delegitimisation fuelled by the outgoing prime minister and his circle for political reasons,” Eisenkot wrote on X.

“The prime minister of Israel is the prime minister of all citizens… The attempt to marginalise them and smear them as a group is an anti-state act,” he added.

In the 27 October vote his alliance won 48 seats and Netanyahu’s bloc 53 — both short of 61. Arab-led parties took a record 19 seats.

Netanyahu made unproven fraud claims against Arab parties — rejected by electoral authorities — and criticized them for not calling Hamas a “terror group,” even though their leaders condemned the 7 October 2023 assault.

Arab-led parties endorsed Eisenkot, but he ruled out governing with them (which would yield 67); UTJ and Shas backing would give exactly 61. He has six weeks to form a government.

Eisenkot said he met Netanyahu on Thursday on security; reports say Netanyahu is weighing action against Iran amid U.S. and military-establishment reluctance.

Eisenkot slams Netanyahu’s ‘racist’ campaign against Palestinian Israelis — Al Jazeera

Image: Wikimedia Commons — Gadi Eisenkot (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Sources consulted: Eisenkot slams Netanyahu’s ‘racist’ campaign against Palestinian Israelis — Al Jazeera.