Benjamin Netanyahu is gripped by “panic” over the possibility of opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot ousting him as Prime Minister, former Netanyahu adviser Nir Hefetz claimed on Tuesday during an interview with 103FM.“Panic is a major factor in his decision-making,” Hefetz said, according to The Jerusalem Post. “I could almost close my eyes and hear that atmosphere of panic,” he added.The remarks came as Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief, secured an agreement with four opposition leaders on key positions in the Knesset, strengthening their efforts to replace Netanyahu and form the next government.The agreement was reached with Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Lapid. The leaders have nominated former minister Matan Kahana, a member of Eisenkot’s Yashar party, as their candidate for Speaker of the Knesset.Liberman will head the powerful Foreign affairs and defence committee, while incoming lawmaker Liran Avisar Ben Horin of Bennett’s B’Yachad party has been nominated to chair the Finance Committee. She would become the first woman to hold the post.Incoming lawmaker Roy Folkman has been nominated to head the House Committee. The parties have also agreed to establish special committees, with details to be announced separately.Earlier anouncing the decision, in a post on X, Eisenkot said, “I have reached an agreement with my partners, the leaders of the change and reform parties–Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Lapid–on the prospective candidates for key positions in the 26th Knesset during the period for forming a government.”“Speaker of the Knesset–former minister and incoming MK Matan Kahana,” he added.
Eisenkot received mandate to form next govt
Netanyahu’s governing bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member legislature, while the Zionist opposition parties secured 48. Arab-led parties hold the remaining 19 seats.Eisenkot received the mandate to form the next government from President Isaac Herzog on Sunday after securing recommendations from lawmakers representing 67 seats, compared with 46 for Netanyahu.The backing included support from Arab lawmakers, although most leaders of the Zionist opposition parties have ruled out including Arab parties in a government.Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with a possible two-week extension. The ultra-Orthodox parties, which hold 13 seats and have traditionally been Netanyahu’s allies, could prove crucial to the coalition negotiations.Liberman has called for a compromise with Haredi parties over exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox men, marking a shift from his longstanding position on the issue.Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s Likud party said he would seek cabinet approval to appoint foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar as interior minister in addition to his current portfolio.The position has been vacant since July 2025, when Moshe Arbel of the Shas party resigned amid a coalition dispute over the Haredi draft issue. Netanyahu had since taken over some of the ministry’s responsibilities.
Hefetz says Netanyahu fears losing power
Speaking about the atmosphere in the Prime Minister’s Office during periods of political uncertainty, Hefetz claimed that urgent calls from Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and son, Yair, were frequent.“Urgent phone calls every five seconds with the same message from Yair and Sara,” he said, referring to people around Netanyahu, whom he described as including “Qatar’s representatives in the office or people like [Knesset Speaker] Amir Ohana.”“If you were a fly on the wall, you would see the panic with your own eyes,” Hefetz said. “This is not unusual for him when his personal standing is at risk. It is a regular feature of how he operates when it comes to himself.”Hefetz said losing office would be particularly difficult for Netanyahu and his family, pointing to the status and privileges associated with being prime minister.“Life at home would not be easy for him, to put it mildly. And don’t forget, he is someone who loves the respect he receives from world leaders,” he said.“Will he sit on the opposition benches? Will he suddenly see Eisenkot with the motorcade, being taken everywhere by helicopter and flying on Wing of Zion?” he asked, referring to Israel’s official state aircraft.“That triumvirate of Netanyahu, Sara and Yair would simply explode. For them, it would be worse than people being abducted to Gaza,” Hefetz claimed.He also suggested that Netanyahu’s call for a national unity government could be a political move to slow Eisenkot’s efforts to form an alternative administration.“The closer Gadi Eisenkot gets to forming a government, the less Netanyahu will be willing to settle for,” Hefetz said, suggesting that the prime minister could offer further concessions to prevent Eisenkot from taking office.“The moment Eisenkot enters negotiations with him over a unity government, it becomes less urgent. But first, he needs to stop the snowball,” he added.Hefetz argued that Netanyahu was also keen to preserve his longstanding alliance with the ultra-Orthodox parties, whose support could determine who commands a parliamentary majority.
Hefetz: Bibi knows Eisenkot is not afraid of him
Comparing Eisenkot with former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Hefetz argued that Netanyahu viewed the former IDF chief of staff as a more formidable political opponent.“Even during the first months when Naftali was prime minister, Netanyahu was in a terrible mood,” Hefetz said. “But there is an enormous difference between Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett.”“Netanyahu knows this very well. Eisenkot is not afraid of him, and he knows he cannot mess with Eisenkot,” he added.“He won’t stammer ‘Yonit, Yonit,’ and Idit Silman won’t suddenly walk out on him,” Hefetz said, referring to Bennett’s political difficulties and the defection of Silman from his coalition in 2022.Hefetz also cited comments by former minister Elazar Stern, who recalled Eisenkot saying that his experiences during the war had changed his perspective on political pressure.“Gadi told me, ‘After everything I went through in the last war, nothing can touch me,'” Hefetz quoted Stern as saying. “And Bibi knows that.”Hefetz argued that Eisenkot’s reputation and personal credibility could help him secure support from potential coalition partners, particularly ultra-Orthodox parties.“That is also his main weapon in forming a government,” Hefetz said. “If Eisenkot, with the reputation he has, tells the ultra-Orthodox parties, ‘You have my word that this is what will happen, and it will stay in this room,’ they can rely on that.”He also suggested that Yisrael Beytenu leader Liberman’s recent political positions could reflect private understandings with Eisenkot.
Netanyahu’s corruption trial could be affected
Hefetz also discussed the possible implications of Netanyahu losing office for his ongoing corruption trial. He suggested that the prime minister’s current position had influenced the court’s handling of his schedule and that judges could impose stricter attendance requirements if he moved to the opposition.“Have you considered how much his life would change?” Hefetz asked. “The panel of judges sitting in the District Court, which allows Amit Hadad to run the proceedings, will tell him: ‘You will attend every hearing.'”“The judges will take control, and he will sit there day after day,” Hefetz added.
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