"Leaders even more radical than Netanyahu could come to power" - Ikromov

“Leaders even more radical than Netanyahu might come” - Ikromov

So, there is a possibility of a change of prime minister in Israel, but this does not mean that the risk of new wars regarding Gaza, Iran, and Palestine issues will decrease. On the contrary, the situation may become even more complicated.

If Netanyahu leaves power, how much will Israel's policy regarding Gaza, Iran, and Palestinian statehood issues change?

Farhod Karimov:

If we look at the platforms of the Likud and Yesh Atid parties, there is no big difference between them. The Yesh Atid party was formed by former Likud members and the military. Even now, the core composition of the party consists of former military personnel. They do not advocate a softer stance toward Iran; on the contrary, they put forward the view that the war must be carried out to the end. That is, even if the opposition comes to power, even if Netanyahu hands over the prime ministership to another person, for example, Eisenkot, it is unlikely that much will change. No drastic changes are expected in either domestic or foreign policy.

Because right now, rather than a struggle of ideas and political views, competition between individuals is being observed. The main point is about removing Netanyahu from power. In addition, Eisenkot's block itself unites forces of various political views: it includes leftists, centrists, and right-wingers. However, most of the centrist forces lean toward the center-right. Their position on Arabs and the Hamas issue is also, in general, close to each other. Even regarding Hamas, Eisenkot's position is more radical than Likud's. He favors the complete destruction of Hamas and putting a definitive end to the Gaza issue.

Kamoliddin Rabbimov:

We have repeatedly noted that Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, is also in Eisenkot's coalition. According to Lieberman, until October 7, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries provided money to Hamas, and Netanyahu allowed these funds to be delivered to Hamas every time. That is, in his opinion, Netanyahu was directly involved in the strengthening of Hamas.

Eisenkot, on the other hand, is one of the generals who lost his loved ones in the war with Hamas after October 7. Not only his son, but also other relatives were killed.

Netanyahu, however, did not lose close relatives in this war. For this reason, in Israeli society, Eisenkot is seen, on the one hand, as a person seeking revenge, and on the other hand, as someone who has not yet fully revealed his political views. If he comes to power, it will be possible to better understand his true political position, in particular, his attitude toward the Palestinian issue and neighboring Arab states. For now, he has not disclosed much of a clear position in this regard. In general, there is no fundamental difference in the positions of the parties. Even Lieberman's official position on certain issues is further to the right than Netanyahu's.