Gadi Eisenkot’s Bid to End Netanyahu’s Era

Former Israeli general Gadi Eisenkot, who lost his son in Gaza, is running to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 election, offering himself as a leader to move Israel beyond the trauma of Oct. 7, 2023. Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, has built his campaign on integrity and personal loss, pledging to restore public trust, establish a state inquiry into the attack, and pursue diplomatic solutions. Polls show a close contest, with no bloc assured of a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, faces voters for the first time since the war, which has killed over 70,000 Palestinians and left Israel internationally isolated. Eisenkot has ruled out serving in a unity government with Netanyahu, framing the election as a test of Israel's democratic and Zionist values.