Former minister Matan Kahana, who holds the fifth spot on Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party list, spoke to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News on Tuesday evening from party headquarters following the release of the exit polls in the Knesset elections.
Kahana expressed satisfaction with the exit polls, arguing that the Israeli public had sent a message that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should end his political career, in part because of his responsibility for the failures surrounding the October 7 massacre.
Addressing the possible formation of the next government, Kahana made clear that his party had no intention of establishing a government dependent on the support of Arab parties. He explained that their positions regarding Hamas made such a partnership unacceptable to him.
Kahana said the goal was to establish a broad Zionist government. If such a government could not be formed immediately, he explained, the party would first seek to establish a government based on a Zionist majority and subsequently work to expand the coalition.
He emphasized that the fundamental conditions outlined by the party throughout the campaign remained unchanged. These included preserving Israel's Jewish and democratic character, upholding the Declaration of Independence, requiring national service for all, and recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Asked whether pressure from Israel's President or the President of the United States could lead to the formation of a unity government, Kahana expressed confidence that Eisenkot would withstand such pressure and remain committed to the positions he had presented during the election campaign.
Finally, Kahana said the party had campaigned intensively among Likud voters during the final days of the election in an effort to broaden its support base. He said the exit polls indicated a significant achievement, but stressed that the official results would be needed to determine its full extent.