Former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, and New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar held a press conference this evening (Sunday), after Eizenkot entered Israel's political arena intending to run in a joint party called 'State Camp' in the upcoming Nov. 1 elections.
Gantz commented: "We are uniting to block the possibility of us becoming a bi-national state. We will avoid sixth elections. We chose to go together after a long and meaningful discussion. We will work together to get Israeli politics out of the mud where they are currently stuck."
"Eizenkot is not only a commander with numerous achievements, he is a person with a lot of values. He passed the most difficult tests in Israeli society. The common denominator between us is the State Camp. Together we will work to pull the political cart out of the mud, and no less importantly we will steer it to achieve our national goals. Statehood is the ability to unite groups and tribes, it is the only way to avoid sixth elections, and to form a stable government with broad public support," Gantz said."
Gadi Eizenkot said in his first political statement that "the State of Israel has been caught up in a political crisis and instability that has lasted for years, and a deep rift has broken out in the heart of society. I have therefore made the decision not to sit on the sidelines but to take action and join a state political framework, which will form the basis for a broad and stable government over time."
According to him, "I believe in state leadership, modest and matter-of-fact, that puts you, the citizens of Israel, at the top of the list of priorities. In my view, we must strive to establish a government that will integrate the multitude of state forces operating in Israel, that will restore governmental stability and that will promote respectful discourse and national interests. We are facing substantial challenges and we do not have the right not to establish a functioning government for the citizens of Israel."
"Ganz, who I had the privilege of serving alongside and under his command for a long time, is the most suitable person to lead the state camp and the ideas he expresses," he added.
He referred to joining the government led by opposition leader Netanyahu and said that "a public figure cannot run for public office with an indictment."
Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar noted that "this movement, which is taking the first step today, is not a technical move. It is a deep move whose goal is to establish a deep-rooted political power for all of Israel. This movement can be and will be a home for anyone who is loyal to the original values of the Zionist movement in its nuances - Revisionist Zionism, the labor movement, and religious Zionism. Today it is possible. And it will also be a home for all citizens of Israel regardless of religion or sect. This home will be a democratic home and strive for unity in the nation."
"I believe in the power of this unification to produce a significant, state-entered, patriotic political force, guided in its action by the national interest, which will bring stability to our political system. Still, we can expect hard work ahead," he concluded.
The Likud responded and said: "Gadi Eizenkot joined a party that cannot form a government, boycotts half the people and will lead us to sixth elections. Only the Likud can form a stable national government that will prevent a sixth round of elections."