Former Israeli military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot has officially launched his campaign for prime minister, vowing to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu and open a better chapter in the country's history.
Eisenkot, who is also the leader of the Yashar Party and served as Israel’s military chief from 2015 to 2019, made the announcement during a speech on Tuesday evening.
"In October, the term of the disastrous October government will come to an end," Eisenkot said.
He pledged that a government under his leadership would make "courageous decisions" on national security, mandatory service, and public education, while establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 intelligence failures.
Coalition paralysis
Compounding the pressure on the premier, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also targeted Netanyahu on Tuesday, declaring him "incapable of governing his own government."
In an interview, Bennett claimed that far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, along with ultra-Orthodox groups, have taken total control of the prime minister.
"I would not have allowed Ben-Gvir into my government to begin with," Bennett remarked, noting that Netanyahu is no longer able to call his ministers to order because he entirely depends upon them.
Bennett argued that the government's conduct had severely damaged Israel's international standing, causing "ongoing self-inflicted wounds" while conducting zero public diplomacy.
Electoral outlook
Bennett further contended that the prolonged conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Iranian front run directly contrary to established military doctrine.
"When you drag it on for such a long time, it exhausts our economy, exhausts our reservists," Bennett said, calling for swift, intensive campaigns to stabilise the region instead.
Israel's next general election is scheduled for 27 October, though local media reports suggest that a potential agreement with ultra-Orthodox parties could move the date up to 20 October.
The political challenges come as a Maariv poll revealed that 34 percent of Israelis believe Eisenkot is the most suitable candidate for prime minister, while a Channel 12 poll projected his Yashar party to clinch 22 out of 120 Knesset seats, sitting just behind Netanyahu's Likud party at 24 seats.
