Former Israeli Army Chief Gadi Eisenkot Emerges as Leading Challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu

The Election Race

Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot has risen in opinion polls to become the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 election. Polls indicate that Eisenkot's Yashar party is projected to secure 20 to 23 of the 120 Knesset seats, surpassing Netanyahu's Likud party. If successful, the 66-year-old would become Israel's first Mizrahi prime minister. However, neither political bloc is currently on track to reach the 61-seat majority required to form a government independently.

Background and Military Career

Eisenkot served a 40-year military career, including a tenure as chief of staff from 2015 to 2019 under Netanyahu. He entered politics in 2022 alongside Benny Gantz and later joined the wartime cabinet following the October 7, 2023 attack, though he resigned in June 2024 over a lack of a clear post-war strategy. His youngest son and two nephews were killed in combat during the conflict. His political platform includes a promised state inquiry into the intelligence and security failures of October 7 and national service requirements for all citizens, including ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Context

Israel operates under a parliamentary system where coalitions are typically required to form a government, meaning even the party with the most seats often must negotiate with smaller factions. Israeli politics heavily center around national security, military leadership backgrounds, and regional diplomacy involving the United States and neighboring states.