Ex-Israeli Army Chief Eisenkot Launches Election Campaign to Unseat Netanyahu

Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot officially launched his election campaign on Tuesday, seeking to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections scheduled for October 2026.

At his first campaign meeting, Eisenkot declared that 'Israel deserves to open a new chapter. We will write it together.' He directly referenced the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which occurred under Netanyahu's watch, stating, 'For the future of Israel, we must ensure that next October, the 'October 7' government ends its role in history.'

Eisenkot founded his party, Yashar (meaning 'Right' in Hebrew), in September 2023. He has been a sharp critic of Netanyahu's policies and conduct during the subsequent Gaza war. A poll by Israel's Channel 12 this week projected Yashar winning 22 of 120 Knesset seats, just behind Netanyahu's Likud party, which is predicted to take 24 seats.

The 66-year-old Eisenkot is the son of Moroccan Jewish migrants and gained public sympathy after his son Gal was killed in combat in Gaza, along with two of his nephews. He first entered politics in 2022 alongside former army chief Benny Gantz.

Eisenkot served in Netanyahu's war cabinet from October 2023 until his resignation in June 2024. He has not publicly stated his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his speech, he said, 'I believe that Israel needs an honest and dignified Zionist leadership, a political home for citizens who dream of a different Israel and wish to bequeath to their children and grandchildren a strong and secure country.'

He added, 'We will replace a leadership devoid of vision and strategy, which is leading the country toward a loss of direction.'