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Gadi Eisenkot Leverages Moroccan Roots in Sderot to Challenge Netanyahu
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Eisenkot’s Moroccan-Root Campaign Targets Sderot
As Israel prepares for a national election, Likud challenger Gadi Eisenkot is foregrounding his Moroccan heritage in the southern city of Sderot. Campaign posters display the slogan “Rosh Memshala Dialna,” blending Hebrew “prime minister” with the Moroccan-Arabic word “dialna” (“of our own”). The Yashar party, founded by Eisenkot, accuses Likud of sidelining Mizrahi politicians, while a local sticker campaign calls for a Mizrahi prime minister.
Historical Mizrahi Discrimination and Political Realignment
Since Israel’s founding, the Ashkenazi-dominated Mapai party pursued policies that pressured Mizrahi Jews to “Europeanize,” often relegating them to Ma'abarot transit camps that later became underfunded development towns such as Sderot. The city, home to a large Moroccan-Jewish community, became a symbolic stronghold for the right after Likud’s 1973 rise under Menachem Begin, a shift known as the Mahapach. Despite this alignment, Likud has never fielded a Mizrahi leader.
Election Data and Demographics
In the 2022 election, Likud secured more than 40 % of the vote in Sderot, versus 23 % nationwide. Sderot’s population, now about 40,000 after growing by roughly 5,000 since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that killed more than 50 residents, remains heavily influenced by its Moroccan-Jewish identity. The city’s national-religious community, which tends to support Bezalel Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism party, could affect Likud’s local performance.
Official Statements and Criticism
Right-wing journalist Yinon Magal, a vocal Netanyahu supporter, called Eisenkot a “monkey.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly condemned Magal’s remark. Daniel Ben-Simon, a Morocco-born journalist and former Knesset member, noted that Eisenkot’s embrace of his roots may have been prompted by Magal’s comments and argued it creates a new Israeli-Moroccan identity.
Verbatim Quotes
- “People don't use terms like 'Dialna' with pride,” — Morocco-born Daniel Ben-Simon, an award-winning Israeli journalist and a former member of parliament
- “By using such a term, you're creating a new identity: an Israeli-Moroccan identity,” — Morocco-born Daniel Ben-Simon, an award-winning Israeli journalist and a former member of parliament