A senior official in Naftali Bennett’s “Beyachad” party reportedly said in a closed-door conversation that if the party falls below 13 to 14 Knesset seats in the polls, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot would become the opposition bloc’s leading candidate for prime minister.

According to the report, the official said that as long as “Beyachad” remains above that threshold, the race to lead the opposition and challenge for the premiership remains open. However, if the party’s support drops below that level, Eisenkot, the chairman of the “Yashar!” party, would emerge as the bloc’s standard-bearer.

The reported remarks come as recent polls have shown a decline in support for Bennett’s party ahead of the upcoming elections.

“Beyachad” strongly denied the report, issuing a statement calling it a “false publication based on fabricated sources.”

The party is expected to ramp up its campaign efforts in the coming weeks in an attempt to reverse its slide in the polls and improve its standing before Election Day.

The report also noted that Hillel Kobrinsky, a close associate of opposition leader Yair Lapid, recently joined the party’s campaign efforts. Bennett, meanwhile, traveled to the United States, where he participated in a conference with senior American officials, as the party seeks to regain momentum.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)