Eisenkot leads opposition bloc in Israel vote

Gadi Eisenkot, Israel's former top military commander, currently leads the main opposition bloc in Tuesday's election. Preliminary results from the country's elections commission indicate his camp is a close second to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but neither side has secured the 61 seats required for a government majority.

Local media projections place Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies at 53 seats. Eisenkot's centrist party, Yashar, and its partners hold 48 seats. The remaining 19 seats belong to Arab-led parties, whose historic showing makes them the pivotal factor in forming a government. Neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu has ruled out working with these parties, though Netanyahu's camp has historically resisted such alliances.

Eisenkot, 66, is a reserved figure from a working-class background of Moroccan-Jewish immigrants. He spent four decades in the military and recently lost his 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, in combat in Gaza. Two of his nephews also died in the war. These personal losses have increased his profile as a candidate willing to pay the ultimate price for national security.

The former general resigned from Netanyahu's war cabinet in June 2024. He wrote that political considerations were harming the military's ability to achieve war goals. Since the October 7, 2023, attacks that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Eisenkot has advocated for a state inquiry into the failures of that day. He also supports legislation to mandate military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a move he says will not be compromised.

Coalition talks are moving quickly to avoid a second round of elections. Eisenkot's party has asked Arab-led parties to publicly support four principles, including recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and disarming Hamas. Yashar candidate Lian Polak-David noted that no current ultra-Orthodox or Arab party supports all four points. Eisenkot warned that swift action is essential to unite the country.

If Eisenkot succeeds, he would lead a government with a close second-place showing from the opposition. His platform includes evacuating unauthorized settler outposts in the West Bank and following U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza. While he supported military operations in Lebanon and Iran, he is credited with formulating the Dahiyeh Doctrine, which advocates for disproportionate military response to any attack on Israel.