Netanyahu vs Eisenkot: Israel exit polls point to a clash between PM, ex-army chief

Who is Gadi Eisenkot? The ex-army chief taking on Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel election

Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as a key challenger to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with exit polls suggesting that his opposition bloc is running neck and neck with the incumbent’s camp in Israel’s election.Projections by Israeli television networks showed neither side securing a clear parliamentary majority, leaving the formation of the next government uncertain. Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected both blocs at 51 seats, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc a narrow 52-49 lead. A majority in the 120-member Knesset requires 61 seats.Gadi Eisenkot has been described as a politician who embodies traits that set him apart from Netanyahu.

A former general and leader of the opposition Yashar party, Eisenkot, is seen as more unpolished and direct than Netanyahu, whose political style has often been characterised as slick.Reacting to the projections, Eisenkot had earlier said the results reflected “a total lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the ‘October 7th government’”.“If these are the final results, it is a victory for the mainstream Zionist majority in Israel,” he said, adding, “I will act immediately to carry out the will of the people, to replace the Netanyahu government, and to form a Zionist government of national mobilisation as soon as possible.”

Eisenkot had also warned Netanyahu against using national security for political purposes. “Netanyahu is a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people’s trust,” he said, urging the security establishment to “stand firm”.The election is the first since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Eisenkot served as an observer in Netanyahu’s war cabinet but resigned after eight months, accusing the prime minister of lacking a clear strategy.

He argued that Israel had failed to achieve its stated objective of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.Eisenkot, 66, spent 41 years in the Israeli military and served as chief of staff from 2015 to 2019. He enlisted in the Golani Brigade in 1978 and rose over a 40-year career to become chief of staff from 2015 to 2019, serving under Netanyahu.The son of Jewish Moroccan immigrants, he entered frontline politics alongside another former chief of defence staff, Benny Gantz, after the October 7 attacks.

His son and two nephews were killed in combat in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports.Despite presenting himself as an alternative to Netanyahu’s leadership, Eisenkot maintains a hardline position on security. He has called for Hamas’ military wing to be dismantled, argued that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons and opposed Palestinian statehood. He has also rejected a two-state solution, describing the idea of “two states for two peoples” as a mistake.The coalition arithmetic remains complicated by the role of Arab parties. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest since 1999, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee. Final results and coalition negotiations will determine whether Eisenkot can assemble sufficient support to replace Netanyahu.