TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the strongest challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's parliamentary election later this year, with recent opinion polls showing the retired general narrowing the gap with the country's longest-serving leader.
The election, expected by late October, will be Israel's first national vote since the October 2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. With public dissatisfaction growing over the government's handling of the conflicts, several surveys indicate that Netanyahu's long political dominance is facing its most serious challenge in years.
As reported by CNN, Eisenkot's newly established Yashar party has surged in recent polls, overtaking other opposition figures including former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. A recent Channel 12 survey projected Netanyahu's Likud party winning 23 seats in the Knesset, followed closely by Yashar with 21 seats, while the Bennett-Lapid alliance trailed with 18.
The same poll also showed Eisenkot edging ahead of Netanyahu in public preference for prime minister, with 38 percent backing the former military chief compared with 36 percent supporting the incumbent.
The rise has prompted Likud to redirect its campaign toward Eisenkot after previously focusing its criticism on Bennett. Netanyahu's allies have launched campaign advertisements questioning Eisenkot's leadership credentials, including his English-language skills and his approach to national security.
One Likud social media post recently portrayed Eisenkot alongside Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi, accusing him of depending on Arab parties to form a future government—an argument Netanyahu has repeatedly used against opposition coalitions.
Eisenkot's political appeal stems partly from his sharp contrast with Netanyahu's style. While Netanyahu has built his career on polished political messaging and international diplomacy, Eisenkot presents himself as a reserved military professional focused on strategy rather than rhetoric.
Born to Moroccan immigrant parents and raised outside Israel's traditional political elite, Eisenkot also represents a rare opportunity for Mizrahi Jewish voters to support a prime ministerial candidate from their own background. Analysts say this could weaken one of Likud's most reliable voting blocs.
Before entering politics, Eisenkot served as Israel Defense Forces chief of staff from 2015 to 2019 after rising through the ranks of the Golani Brigade. During his military career, he became closely associated with the "Dahiyeh doctrine," a strategy advocating overwhelming military force against militant groups and the infrastructure supporting them.
According to The Arab Weekly, Eisenkot recently defended the doctrine, saying he had implemented what he described as "disproportionate strikes" during conflicts with Hezbollah. He has also argued that Israeli forces should retain the freedom to strike Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon despite international ceasefire efforts.
Although regarded as politically centrist, Eisenkot has maintained hawkish positions on national security. He has dismissed calls for immediate Palestinian statehood as irrelevant under current conditions and has criticized Netanyahu for agreeing too readily to ceasefire arrangements pushed by the United States following the conflict with Iran.
Eisenkot briefly joined Netanyahu's emergency war cabinet after the October 2023 Hamas attack but resigned eight months later, accusing the government of lacking a coherent strategy for the war and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
His criticism carried particular weight because of his own family's sacrifices. His youngest son, Gal Eisenkot, was killed while serving in Gaza in December 2023, and two of his nephews also died during the conflict.
Those personal losses have strengthened Eisenkot's public image as a leader who has directly shared the burden borne by Israeli families throughout the prolonged wars.
Despite his growing momentum, analysts caution that defeating Netanyahu remains far from certain. Israel's coalition-based parliamentary system means the largest party does not automatically form the next government, and any anti-Netanyahu alliance would likely require support from parties spanning the political left, center, right, and possibly Arab lawmakers.
Political observers also note that Netanyahu has repeatedly overcome unfavorable polls during previous elections through disciplined campaigning and coalition negotiations.
Still, many analysts believe Eisenkot's greatest political strength lies in offering voters a fundamentally different style of leadership rather than attempting to imitate Netanyahu.
With several months remaining before Israelis head to the polls, the contest is expected to intensify as both camps seek to shape the country's future after nearly three years of regional conflict.
Read: US Woos Israeli Opposition: Will Trump Turn on Netanyahu?
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