Gadi Eisenkot Leads Polls as Main Challenger to Netanyahu in Israel Election
Former Israeli Defence Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as the leading rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 general election. A Channel 12 poll shows Eisenkot’s new Yashar party projected 23 seats in the 120‑member Knesset, one more than Netanyahu’s Likud party’s 22. The same survey found 43 % of respondents view Eisenkot as the most suitable prime‑ministerial candidate, compared with 34 % for Netanyahu.
Eisenkot’s campaign centers on a 10‑point platform that calls for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, a new long‑term national security doctrine, and a universal national service law extending compulsory military service to ultra‑Orthodox Jews and Arab citizens. He also pledges to protect judicial independence, the rule of law, minority rights and a free press, while emphasizing his role in developing the “Dahiya Doctrine” for responding to Hezbollah threats.
Entities: Benjamin Netanyahu · Bezalel Smotrich · Dahiya Doctrine · Gadi Eisenkot · Israeli Knesset · Religious Zionist Party · Yashar · Yashar! party
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] 43 % of respondents said Eisenkot was the most suitable candidate for prime minister, compared with 34 % for Netanyahu. (poll respondents)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Eisenkot proposes a universal national service law to extend compulsory military service to ultra‑Orthodox Jews and Arab citizens. (campaign proposal)
- [● 5 SOURCES] A Channel 12 poll projected Eisenkot’s Yashar party would win 23 seats, ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud party’s 22 seats. (poll projection)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Eisenkot pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. (campaign pledge)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Israel’s general election is scheduled for October 27, 2024. (election date)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Eisenkot was among those credited with developing the “Dahiya Doctrine,” a strategy for responding to Hezbollah. (military doctrine development)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Eisenkot pledged to protect judicial independence, the rule of law, minority rights and a free press. (campaign pledge)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Gadi Eisenkot served as Chief of Staff of the Israeli military from 2015 to 2019. (former IDF chief)