By Salma El-Sakka
Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party, has a viable path to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following Tuesday's election, though forming a majority coalition would require alignment with Arab-led parties.
Election results and coalition arithmetic
Preliminary results show neither Netanyahu's Likud bloc nor Eisenkot's Yashar bloc reaching the 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Projections indicate 53 seats for Likud and allies, 48 for Yashar and allies, and 19 for Arab-led parties. Eisenkot has not ruled out partnering with Arab parties, unlike Netanyahu.
Challenges of an Arab-Jewish coalition
Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, calls for a "true and equal" Jewish-Arab partnership to oust Netanyahu. However, Eisenkot's party demands Arab parties endorse four principles: Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, Hamas as a terrorist organization to be disarmed, and ending draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox and Palestinian citizens. No Arab party currently supports all four, and time is short before a potential second election.
Eisenkot's background and contrast with Netanyahu
Eisenkot, 66, comes from a working-class Moroccan-Jewish immigrant family and served four decades in the military. His son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, was killed in Gaza combat, as were two nephews. Netanyahu, a US-educated elite, faces corruption scandals and an ICC arrest warrant. Eisenkot served as observer in Netanyahu's war cabinet after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, but resigned in June 2024, citing political interference in war decisions.
Policy platform
Eisenkot supports a state inquiry into the October 7 failures, mandatory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, and evacuating unauthorized settler outposts while supporting settlements. He advocates de-escalation in the West Bank and follows Trump's Gaza plan. He is credited with the "Dahiyeh Doctrine" advocating disproportionate force against entities firing on Israel.
