Gadi Eisenkot
Gadi Eisenkot is a former IDF Chief of Staff (2015–2019) and the chairman of the Yashar party. In June 2026, he emerged as the leading candidate for Prime Minister within the opposition bloc, advocating for a security-first strategy that includes the total demilitarization of southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Gadi Eisenkot, the 21st Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, has transitioned from a career defined by military strategy to becoming a central pillar of the Israeli political landscape. During his military tenure, he was the architect of the 'Campaign Between the Wars' (MABAM), a strategy aimed at degrading Iranian and Hezbollah capabilities without escalating to full-scale war. In the political arena, Eisenkot has positioned himself as a pragmatic, security-oriented leader, initially serving as an observer in the war cabinet during the multi-front conflict that began in October 2023. By late June 2026, Eisenkot's political standing underwent a dramatic surge. Following his departure from the National Unity party to lead the 'Yashar' party, polling from Kan 11 and N12 showed him overtaking Naftali Bennett and coming within a single seat of the Likud. This momentum led major Hebrew media outlets, including Yedioth Ahronoth, to identify him as the 'crowned' candidate of the opposition for Prime Minister. His platform emphasizes national unity, the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 failures, and a significant expansion of the IDF to alleviate the burden on reserve families. Recently, Eisenkot has become a sharp critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the current leadership of fostering division and offering 'zero real answers' to strategic threats, particularly regarding Iran's nuclear program. On the northern front, Eisenkot maintains a hawkish stance, demanding the total demilitarization of southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah as non-negotiable war objectives, warning that any compromise would abandon northern residents to future cycles of violence.