TPS: Bedouin Leaders Say Eisenkot Vowed to Bring Raam Into Government; Party Denies
Bedouin leaders report Gadi Eisenkot pledged to bring Ra'am into a future government, a claim his party denies, sparking political controversy.
Jerusalem, 16 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A political storm erupted Wednesday after N12’s Mohammed Magadle reported that two Bedouin local council heads present at a meeting with Yashar Party chairman Gadi Eisenkot said he pledged to work toward bringing the Islamist Ra’am party into a future government he would lead.
Muwaid al-Heib of Tuba-Zangariyye’s council said Eisenkot spoke of ongoing contacts with Ra’am.
Eisenkot’s party denied the claims as “a lie,” insisting “these things were never said, not even hinted at,” and reiterated three conditions for coalition partners: recognizing Israel’s Declaration of Independence, its Jewish and democratic character, and universal service, while excluding parties that don’t recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich seized on the report, accusing Eisenkot of concealing plans for a “left-wing government” with Ra’am’s Mansour Abbas.