Who is Gadi Eisenkot? Ex-army chief of Israel is Netanyahu's biggest challenger in PM race

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City (Credit: AP) Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a campaign centred on security, leadership and accountability for the failures surrounding Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.Eisenkot, who founded the Yashar party in 2025, has emerged as a key challenger to Netanyahu ahead of Israel's October 27 election.Unlike Netanyahu, a veteran and combative politician, Eisenkot has cultivated an image of a reserved, straightforward leader with strong military credentials. His family has also suffered personal losses during the Gaza war, with his son and two nephews killed while fighting there.From military chief to political challengerThe son of Moroccan immigrants, Eisenkot served in the Israeli military for 41 years, rising to become its chief of staff from 2015 to 2019. He commanded troops in the West Bank during the second intifada and served during Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.During the Lebanon conflict, he employed what became known as the “Dahiyeh doctr...