Former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot is challenging long‑time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel’s June 4 general election, with polls now placing him at 42% according to N+S.
Eisenkot, 66, led the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019 and is known for his stoic, bullet‑point style of communication.
He promises to unite a nation fractured by war, to curb extremist settler violence in the West Bank, and to restore Israel’s international reputation after years of conflict.
His platform also calls for ending exemptions for religious students from mandatory military service and for ending the “Dahiya doctrine”‑style warfare that critics say amounts to war crimes.
Eisenkot’s resolve is sharpened by personal loss: his son Gal and two nephews were killed fighting in Gaza, a tragedy that has resonated with many voters.
Netanyahu’s Likud party accuses Eisenkot of being a puppet of Western elites, but he has turned the narrative into a campaign for equality, highlighting his Sephardic background, and the June 4 vote will decide whether he can bring an end to Netanyahu’s 17‑year rule.