No. 3: Gadi Eisenkot: Israel’s next prime minister?
The Jerusalem Post profiles Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief and Yashar party leader, as the leading opposition challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 election. The article traces his political rise, personal losses during the Gaza war, and his centrist platform focused on a state commission of inquiry into October 7 and a realistic plan for ultra-Orthodox conscription.
The Jerusalem Post profiles Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff and leader of the Yashar party, as the leading opposition challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 election. Eisenkot entered politics in 2022 as MK Benny Gantz's second-in-command in the National Unity Party and served in the emergency coalition after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The war became deeply personal: he lost his son Gal, a nephew in the same week, and another nephew a year later. Eisenkot said the loss pushed him to act, and in September 2025 he launched Yashar after leaving the coalition. Over the past year, he has focused on building opposition support and has surged in polls, leapfrogging both former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Netanyahu's Likud. His centrist platform emphasizes "repairing, healing, and hope" and includes a vow to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures. On ultra-Orthodox conscription, he calls for a "realistic plan" rather than a forceful stance. Eisenkot has rejected offers to serve as second-in-command to other opposition leaders, stating, "I believe in myself, I know the kind of leadership that I bring." He has indicated willingness to sit in a government with parties from Netanyahu's current coalition, unlike other opposition parties. Comparisons are drawn to Gantz, another former military chief who once seemed a strong rival to Netanyahu but lost public support. If elected, Eisenkot would be Israel's first Mizrahi prime minister.