Gadi Eisenkot: From General to Netanyahu's Main Challenger

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, is now Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main challenger, with recent polls showing him ahead despite his party Yashar being only a year old. Eisenkot, dubbed the "anti-Bibi," left Netanyahu's war cabinet after disagreements over Gaza strategy. His son was killed in the conflict in December 2023, and he advocates for a state inquiry into the Hamas attack and universal conscription, including for ultra-Orthodox Jews. Analysts note Eisenkot's approach to Palestinians differs little from Netanyahu's, as he supports destroying Hamas's military wing and has backed the Dahiya doctrine of flattening neighborhoods. However, his tone on settler violence is firmer, and international partners may find him easier to work with.