Netanyahu confidant Eshel repeatedly inquired with Ra'am's Abbas about Eisenkot coalition - report

One of the first occasions on which Eshel made contact with Abbas, N12 reported, was to ask him about whether he would back Eisenkot in a vote over the draft law.

Former chief of staff and confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Natan Eshel, has been in close contact with Ra'am party chairman Mansour Abbas to dissuade him from working with Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, N12 News reported Monday.

According to N12, Eshel spoke to Abbas repeatedly before, during, and after the recent Israeli election.

N12 reported that one of the first times Eshel contacted Abbas was to ask whether he would back Eisenkot in a vote over the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft law, to which Abbas replied that they would "wait until after the election results and decide accordingly."

Eshel also repeatedly asked Abbas after the election whether he would support Eisenkot, but never received a reply.

Eshel: 'No messages were conveyed'

N12 inquired with Eshel about his ties to Abbas. While he initially stated that he had cut off all connections, he later claimed that "No messages were conveyed. I asked some Arabs whether they have even a shred of self-respect and whether they would really support someone who doesn't want them in the coalition and merely exploits them. And he replied - much like many others - 'We will do what is best for us.'"

Netanyahu's Likud party also responded to N12's request for comment, saying Netanyahu was surprised to hear the report and that Eshel's actions had not been taken with his knowledge.