Former MK Gadi Eisenkot criticized Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz on Sunday evening during a closed conference, following Gantz’s call to form a unity government focused on the return of hostages and passage of the draft law.
"As someone who was deeply involved until two months ago and accompanied all the negotiations, I say unequivocally: No political change is required. No coalition joining is needed. This is a matter of one person making a difficult but necessary decision," Eisenkot said.
He added, "This comprehensive two-stage deal is not only possible - it must be done, to bring them back as soon as possible. If we’ve learned anything from the experience of captivity - since Ron Arad was shot down - it’s the immense cost to the State of Israel, to our national ethos, and to our principle of mutual responsibility."
Benny Gantz responded to the remarks: "My friend Gadi, you know the truth - had you and I not joined the government on October 11, 116 women and children would not have come home. Yes, it takes one person to make a decision. But when he doesn’t, we must try every possible path to get him there. We have no legitimacy to abandon them."
He continued, "It’s easy to say ‘no’ to everything. But leadership also means showing what ‘yes’ looks like. When we said ‘Israel above all’ - we meant it."