The former military chief trying to unseat Israel’s embattled leader has promised political change but shares key positions on Gaza and Palestinian statehood
Israeli General Gadi Eisenkot, Former Chief of the General Staff, has been tasked with forming the country’s next government, dealing a major setback to Benjamin Netanyahu after an election overshadowed by years of war, political scandals and deep divisions within society.
The struggle for power comes as Netanyahu faces genocide accusations over Gaza, mounting condemnation of military operations and state-backed settler violence in the occupied West Bank, and criticism of expanding regional wars, including the unprovoked campaign against Iran.
Eisenkot has promised to remove Netanyahu and restore an accountable government, but his military record and policies have raised questions about how exactly he would govern and whether Palestinians would actually see a change for the better.
Who is Netanyahu’s challenger?
Eisenkot, 66, was born in Tiberias to Moroccan Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in Eilat, far from Israel’s main political centers.
He joined the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Golani infantry brigade in 1978 and spent 41 years in the military, rising through senior commands in the occupied West Bank and northern Israel before serving as chief of staff from 2015 to 2019.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party and former IDF Chief of General Staff © Getty Images / Nir Keidar/AnadoluAs a senior commander, he advocated the so-called Dahiya doctrine, stating in 2008 that Israel would use “disproportionate force” and inflict “huge damage and destruction” on the Lebanese villages from which it was attacked.
Eisenkot entered parliament in 2022 and joined Netanyahu’s emergency government after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, attending the war cabinet’s discussions on the Gaza campaign as an observer.
Read more Israel’s genocide in Gaza never stopped – UN commissionThe war brought Eisenkot personal losses. His son Gal was killed fighting in Gaza in December 2023 and his two nephews were also killed during the conflict.
Eisenkot resigned from the government in June 2024, criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the war and the lack of a clear postwar plan for Gaza. He has nevertheless continued to support military action against Hamas.
What does he promise?
Eisenkot founded the centrist Yashar, or “Straight,” party in 2025, appealing to centrists and center-right voters seeking a security-focused alternative to Netanyahu, including secular and traditional Israelis united by their desire to remove him.
His military experience, personal losses and demands for accountability over October 7 have been central to his campaign. He has also sought to distinguish himself from Israel’s traditional political establishment through his Moroccan-Jewish upbringing.
Read more The lines dividing Israel from itself: RT’s election breakdownEisenkot has promised an independent state commission of inquiry into the 2023 Hamas attack and the failures that preceded it – demands that have been resisted by Netanyahu, who has backed a government-appointed investigation instead.
The former military chief has also promised to protect judicial independence, tackle living costs and broaden compulsory military or civilian service.
The service issue has become a particular source of resentment among Israelis repeatedly called up for duty while many ultra-Orthodox men receive exemptions. Netanyahu’s religious partners have fought to preserve those arrangements.
What’s his stance on Palestinians and foreign policy?
Eisenkot shares Netanyahu’s opposition to an independent Palestinian state and has advocated for Israel to retain overriding security control between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
In Gaza, Eisenkot wants Hamas disarmed and removed from power. He has pledged to replace its administration within 18 months of taking office, either through a US-backed arrangement or military force.
He has also supported allowing reconstruction to proceed alongside partial disarmament and said the Palestinian Authority would be preferable to continued Hamas rule if those were the alternatives.
Read more Israel’s genocide in Gaza never stopped – UN commissionIn the West Bank, he supports settlements in principle but opposes unauthorized outposts and settler violence. He has also criticized the E1 settlement expansion east of Jerusalem, which would further fragment Palestinian territory and obstruct its connection with East Jerusalem.
On Iran, Eisenkot has questioned the need for another campaign and has accused the government of failing to achieve its previous war objectives. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has campaigned on promises to resume the offensive against Tehran and overthrow its government.
Can he actually remove Netanyahu?
Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally gave Eisenkot the mandate on Sunday, following recommendations from parties representing 67 lawmakers. His core opposition bloc, however, controls just 48 seats in Israel’s 120-member parliament, the Knesset, short of the 61 needed for a majority.
Read more Israeli president instructs Netanyahu rival to form governmentThe additional backing has come from Arab-led parties willing to help remove Netanyahu, including through support from outside the government. But Eisenkot’s conditions, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing power, have complicated potential cooperation. Some of his allies have rejected relying on Arab support altogether.
Eisenkot could also seek support from ultra-Orthodox parties traditionally allied with Netanyahu, but is expected to face demands to compromise on conscription. His ally Avigdor Lieberman has signaled a willingness to negotiate despite years of opposing those parties.
RT correspondent Charlotte Dubenskij reports from Israel on the compromises that could determine whether he succeeds.
Netanyahu remains in office while Eisenkot negotiates, and his Likud party holds more seats than any other single party. He has urged Eisenkot to join a broad unity government that includes his existing partners, while claiming that a government dependent on Arab parties would endanger Israel’s survival.
Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, potentially extended by two weeks. If he fails, Herzog could ask Netanyahu or another candidate to try. A prolonged stalemate could trigger another election.
The new Knesset is due to be sworn in on Tuesday.
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