In Israel, former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party is gaining strength at the center. The other leaders are locked in a race of radicalism and war. Trump may consider extending the Iran ceasefire by another 60 days and ridding himself of Netanyahu. Will Israel be saved from economic bankruptcy, and the Middle East from endless wars?
As Netanyahu drags Israel and the Middle East into a bloody, open-ended war — and sets the United States and Iran on a collision course — Gadi Eisenkot is steadily gaining ground.
The son of immigrants born in Morocco, Eisenkot was born in 1960 in Tiberias, in northern Israel. His first name, Gadi, means “my fortune” or “my luck,” and it is also the name of one of Jacob’s twelve sons and the tribe that descended from him. The war has touched him personally: one of his sons and two of his nephews were killed in Gaza. He trained as a mariner and holds graduate degrees in History and Political Science. After serving as Ehud Barak’s military secretary, he rose to become Chief of the General Staff. In the aftermath of October 7, he resigned, openly critical of Netanyahu’s handling of the war.
Positioning himself in the political center, Eisenkot founded the Yashar Party — a name that means “the straight path” or “the right path.” His support is growing fastest among the moderate majority: ordinary Israelis worn down by war, internal strife, tension, and economic hardship. Though he lost his own son and two nephews to the fighting, he stands firmly against war, conflict, and radicalism. His platform is built on justice, equal treatment regardless of religion, race, or sect, and a genuine commitment to the separation of powers. Much of his backing comes from the Mizrahi Jews — the “Eastern” communities whose history is, for the most part, one of coexistence alongside Muslim societies.
On the core questions, Eisenkot charts a middle course. He argues that the existing Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley and the West Bank should be preserved, yet he is open to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. On Gaza, he favors full demilitarization paired with the construction of a port to support the territory’s regional development. He also maintains that Haredi Jews should be subject to military conscription — with an exemption only for those genuinely devoted to religious service. As things stand, all Haredi men studying the Torah, who make up nearly half of that segment of the youth population, remain exempt.
The latest poll tells the story: Netanyahu’s Likud took 22 seats and Eisenkot’s Yashar 23, making him the strongest contender to lead the next government. The rest of the opposition offers little contrast — figures like Bennett are effectively competing with Netanyahu over who can be more hawkish, vowing to press on with military threats and strikes against the region’s states. With the pre-election climate shaped this way, Netanyahu has already begun floating the idea of a “Zionist Unity” government and courting an alliance with others who share his radical line.
But the math is unforgiving. Reaching the 61-seat majority needed to govern in the 120-seat Knesset is extremely difficult, which all but guarantees that Israel will be ruled by coalition governments for years to come. Public opinion has already turned: recent surveys show 93% of Israelis acknowledge Netanyahu’s failure, and 88% believe Iran emerged from these wars the victor. Barring some final act of recklessness in the three months before the vote, Netanyahu’s days as prime minister are numbered. His friction with Trump, along with JD Vance’s pointed criticisms of Israel, has cost him dearly.
The 60-day ceasefire and negotiation track between Washington and Tehran will, in all likelihood, be extended by another 60 days — and Trump may simply be waiting for Netanyahu, the root of the problem, to exit the stage. In this cycle, Eisenkot’s odds are strong. Though no one will say it aloud, he is also likely to draw meaningful support from American elites outside of AIPAC. A former soldier decorated by the Pentagon for distinguished service, Gadi Eisenkot may be the one figure capable of pulling Israel back from collapse and the wider region back from the fire. And according to economists, the Israeli economy — for all the efforts to paper over it — is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
