Former IDF Chief Eisenkot Challenges Netanyahu Ahead of Israel’s October 27 Election

Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as a leading challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, with his centrist Yashar party polling ahead of Likud in recent surveys. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of fearmongering over Iran after the prime minister posted an image of an atomic bomb over Tel Aviv, calling it "lies and scare tactics" following the government's failure to achieve war objectives. The election remains wide open, with neither camp guaranteed the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government. Eisenkot, who served as IDF chief from 2015 to 2019 and later resigned from Netanyahu's war cabinet, has built his appeal on military credentials and as a credible alternative to the incumbent. His son was killed in Gaza in December 2023, though critics note his own responsibility for pre-war assumptions about Hamas.