Ex-General Eisenkot Mounts Centrist Challenge to Netanyahu

Gadi Eisenkot, the former Israeli general who resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet over disagreements on Gaza strategy, is positioning himself as a leading contender in the country's upcoming autumn elections.

At a formal campaign launch on Monday, Eisenkot presented the slate of his centrist party, Yashar (meaning "Straight!"), in Rosh Haayin. Addressing supporters, he framed the election as a pivotal choice for the nation's future, contrasting "Zionism and domination," "unity and division," and "national responsibility and neglect."

Eisenkot, 66, spent four decades in the Israeli military and rose from a working-class background. His personal stakes are high: his 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed while fighting in Gaza. While broadly supporting Israel's military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, Eisenkot has accused Netanyahu of strategic failures following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.

His platform includes establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures, rebuilding Israel's north and south, boosting education and healthcare, and promoting regional security cooperation. He also advocates mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox communities under the slogan "Service for All."

Supporters at the event praised Eisenkot as an honest, strategic leader with empathy and a deep connection to ordinary Israelis. His rising political profile is expected to intensify pressure on Netanyahu as the nation prepares to vote.