Gadi Eisenkot Takes on Netanyahu, Former Army Chief Seen as Main Challenger in Israeli Election

Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of the Israeli military, is emerging as Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent ahead of the general election Israel will hold on October 27.

A poll published by Channel 12 predicts that “Yashar,” Eisenkot’s new party, will secure 23 seats in the Knesset, one more than Netanyahu’s Likud. In the same poll, 43% of respondents consider Eisenkot the most suitable candidate for prime minister, while Netanyahu is backed by 34%.

At 66, Eisenkot has based his campaign on a 10-point platform through which he pledges to restore security and national unity, as well as strengthen democratic institutions. The program’s priority is the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, over which the Netanyahu government has faced accusations of intelligence failures.

His proposals include drafting a new national security doctrine and extending compulsory military service to ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arab citizens. Eisenkot has not yet presented a detailed strategy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but he has pledged to safeguard judicial independence, the rule of law, press freedom, and minority rights.

According to analysts’ assessments, his support is growing among disillusioned right-wing and centrist voters. For this reason, he is regarded as the candidate with the best chance of defeating Netanyahu in the upcoming election.