Netanyahu vs. Eisenkot: The Election Race Heating Up

On June 8, Likud posted an AI-generated video on X declaring “There is no Gadi without Tibi,” linking former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot to Arab MK Ahmad Tibi. The clip reinforced Likud’s anti-Arab rhetoric and framed Eisenkot as the party’s principal rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the parliamentary election due by late October 2026.

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Eisenkot served as Israel Defense Forces chief of staff from 2015-2019, appointed by Netanyahu, and oversaw the 2016 prosecution of combat medic Elor Azaria. After the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack he joined the emergency war cabinet, withdrew in June 2024 citing a missing end-game, and founded the Yashar party (“straight” or “honest”) in 2022. The party split from Benny Gantz in 2023 and has surged in polls, buoyed by Eisenkot’s personal loss—his son Gal Meir, killed in Gaza in Dec 2023, and two nephews killed later.

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Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces multiple corruption investigations and criticism over his handling of wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Gadi Eisenkot, 66, the son of Moroccan immigrants raised in Tiberias and Eilat, projects a low-key, security-focused image. Both have military ties: Netanyahu served in Sayeret Matkal; Eisenkot rose through the Golani Brigade to chief of staff.

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A Channel 12 poll projects Yashar at 21 Knesset seats, Likud at 23, and the Bennett-Lapid joint list at 18. The same poll shows 38 % of respondents favour Eisenkot as prime minister versus 36 % for Netanyahu. Other pollsters report a similar lead for Eisenkot over the joint list, though exact seat counts vary. A separate poll indicates roughly 75 % of Israelis support Israel’s continued presence in Lebanon, while about 10 % oppose it.

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Even a Likud-Eisenkot lead does not guarantee a governing majority; Israel’s proportional system requires coalition building across left, right, centrist and Arab parties. Eisenkot’s Mizrahi background may attract voters traditionally aligned with Likud, yet forming a stable government remains uncertain. Simultaneously, U.S.–Israel relations are strained over Lebanon and the Iran war, with President Donald Trump reportedly calling Netanyahu “crazy” and insisting Israel obtain Washington’s approval for Lebanese strikes.

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Netanyahu’s campaign continues anti-Arab messaging, while Likud’s AI video directly links Eisenkot to Arab parties. Eisenkot’s February 2024 letter to the war cabinet warned that “the war is being conducted through tactical gains, without significant moves to achieve strategic objectives.” He later told a Hebrew-language podcast that Israel “cannot accept the need for Washington’s approval to strike in Lebanon.” Likud panelists on Channel 14 accused Eisenkot of leniency toward Hezbollah, a charge he denies and says he is considering legal action over.

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Opposition leaders Yair Golan and Yair Lapid denounced Netanyahu’s unity overture as a “Tinder Swindler” ploy and vowed not to sit with him. Golan highlighted Netanyahu’s reliance on anti-Arab rhetoric; Lapid labeled Netanyahu’s satellite parties as “vote-stealing” tools. Within the right, critics question Eisenkot’s English proficiency and his “Dahiyeh doctrine” of overwhelming force, fearing it may perpetuate hawkish regional policies.

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Sources differ on Eisenkot’s stance toward Hezbollah: Likud panelists allege past leniency, whereas Eisenkot publicly rejects any tolerance and mentions possible legal action. Poll figures also vary between Channel 12 and unnamed pollsters, leaving exact seat projections uncertain.

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• “There is no Gadi without Tibi.” — Likud, Official X Account (June 8, 2026)

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• “Under your command, Gadi, the IDF carried out great work,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, 2019 retirement ceremony

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• “We will continue to be a united and happy family so that your sacrifice will not be in vain,” — Gadi Eisenkot, funeral of his son (Dec 2023)

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• “There is only one Netanyahu. Eisenkot is the first in years who is trying to beat Netanyahu by being his opposite,” — Anshel Pfeffer, The Economist correspondent

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• “I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.” — Donald Trump, interview (June 2026)

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Likud’s Constitution Committee set primary voting for August 4, while Yashar continues its campaign rollout, promising additional AI videos. The election must be held by October 27, after which coalition negotiations will determine whether Eisenkot can assemble a governing bloc or whether Netanyahu retains power amid mounting domestic and international pressures.

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