Gadi Eisenkot Challenges 19-Year Ruling by Benjamin Netanyahu in Israeli Election

Voters in Israel went to the polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of a government that has been defined less by ideological divides and more by the continued tenure of Benjamin Netanyahu. The election pits supporters of the incumbent, who has held the premiership for 19 of the last 30 years, against an opposition bloc led by former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. Preliminary indications suggest the two camps are running neck and neck for the 120 seats in the Knesset.

The race is framed as a direct referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership rather than a traditional contest between left and right. Eisenkot, who entered politics only four years ago, represents the party Yashar, a name that translates to straight or direct. He campaigned in Modi'in, a city located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where he proposed US-style term limits for the prime minister to prevent the concentration of power. His message resonated with voters who felt exhausted by political rhetoric.

Noa Sadeh, a 56-year-old attendee at the rally in Modi'in, described her preference for Eisenkot’s plain style. She stated she was tired of politicians who know how to talk and wanted a leader who would focus on the doing part. Eisenkot’s background as the son of working-class Moroccan Jews and his military service distinguish him from the theatrical style of his predecessor.

The opposition alliance is a coalition of former allies and rivals. It includes Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman, both of whom are figures from the nationalist right who previously worked closely with Netanyahu before their political paths diverged. This grouping relies on the assumption that enough Jewish voters will unite against the prime minister to secure a governing majority, although they currently lack the numbers to form a government alone without the support of parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.

On the far right, the campaign also centers on Netanyahu’s position. Yishai Fleisher of the Otzma Yehudit party told voters in Bet Shemesh that the prime minister has drifted leftward and needs to be pulled back. Fleisher advocated for increased settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, a new ministry to encourage the voluntary departure of Palestinians, the implementation of the death penalty, and more weapons for Jewish civilians.

Netanyahu’s campaign utilized visual rhetoric to frame the choice for voters. His posters juxtaposed the word Yamin, meaning right, with Falastin, meaning Palestine. The imagery placed opposition leaders alongside heads of parties representing Palestinian citizens, who constitute about a fifth of the population. Pro-Netanyahu media outlets, particularly Channel 14, played a defensive role in the final weeks, keeping opponents on the back foot.

A controversy emerged this week when Yinon Magal, a prominent figure on Channel 14, referred to Eisenkot as a Moroccan monkey. While speakers at the Modi'in rally raised the issue, Eisenkot himself did not address the slur directly. Admirers viewed his silence as a display of restraint, whereas critics argued it showed a lack of understanding of the political forces he faced.

The close polling has puzzled observers given the challenges facing the incumbent. Netanyahu’s leadership coincided with the deadliest attack in the country’s history on October 7, 2023, and a war in Gaza that killed more than 70,000 Palestinians. Despite these events, his loyal base has remained intact. Oded Levi, who voted for Netanyahu in 2022 but attended the Eisenkot rally this week, argued that the prime minister remains responsible for the events that occurred during his time in office.

Opposition hopes also rest on the return of expatriate Israelis. Many liberal and secular Jews living abroad are flying home to vote, a group not fully captured by standard pollsters. This influx could prove decisive if the result hinges on a single seat in the 120-member legislature. The state ceremony marking the 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin saw Netanyahu absent, sending a low-ranking minister in his place, while young Israelis at a Negev festival sang the song Rabin had performed before his death.