Gadi Eisenkot Leads Polls Ahead of Israeli Knesset Elections
Gadi Eisenkot leads Benjamin Netanyahu in pre-election polls as both candidates campaign on differing strategies to handle Iran and Gaza.
Political candidate Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, currently leads incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by 8 to 10 points in most pre-election polls ahead of Tuesday's Knesset elections. Eisenkot, a former emergency cabinet member who lost family members in the current war, is campaigning on a center-right platform. He has pledged to end Hamas control of Gaza within 18 months of taking office and opposes a Palestinian state under current conditions, though he has criticized Netanyahu's goal of forced regime change in Iran as unrealistic.
Benjamin Netanyahu has countered by utilizing an endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump to warn of existential threats from Iran. As part of his campaign, Netanyahu shared an AI-generated image of a nuclear explosion in Tel Aviv, suggesting only he can maintain the relationship with Trump necessary to prevent a second Holocaust. While Netanyahu has attempted to publicly vilify Eisenkot, polls suggest the incumbent's credibility has been damaged by a corruption trial and the failures of October 7.
Despite Eisenkot's lead over the Likud party, current surveys indicate that neither bloc holds enough seats to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot has urged citizens to vote in large numbers to ensure a victory that secures the future of the state.
