Veteran journalist: Netanyahu is still traumatized by this
Will there be heated television debates before the elections? After the leader of the 'Yashar!' party, Gadi Eisenkot, sent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an official letter proposing direct television debates on air, the political system…
Assessment
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has formally challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a live televised debate before the next election. Veteran journalist Nissim Mishal, who moderated the legendary 1999 debate between Netanyahu and Yitzhak Mordechai, says Netanyahu remains traumatized by that experience and is unlikely to agree. The political system views a debate as highly improbable. The question is whether Netanyahu's refusal will become a campaign issue that Eisenkot can exploit.