Ex-military chief Gadi Eisenkot leads polls as Israel votes Tuesday in bid to unseat Netanyahu
Photo: The New York TimesGadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, leads in the polls ahead of Israel's election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, in which he hopes to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Several polls project his year-old centrist party, Yashar, to win 20 of 120 parliament seats, ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. Israelis vote for parties rather than individuals. Eisenkot was born to Moroccan immigrants in Tiberias and grew up mostly in Eilat, and he presents himself as an everyday man promising to end endless wars. He is known for the Dahiya doctrine, which drew international condemnation for advocating disproportionate force where militants operate, and for criticizing Netanyahu's strategy months after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. His 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Eisenkot, was killed fighting in Gaza, followed by two nephews, Yogev Pazi and Maor Cohen Eisenkot. Eisenkot told the New York Post this is the most critical election since the state's founding and that he is convinced he will win. He is also stressing Israel's bond with the US, where a April Pew poll put public support for Israel at 37%, down from 55% four years earlier.
The New York Times, the left-leaning outlet, frames the story as a character contrast. Its headline asks whether a man "unlike" Netanyahu can beat him, and it notes that Eisenkot calls the prime minister an "anti-leader" while supporters worry about his low-key campaign style. The available text includes no polling figures, family details or US material. The New York Post, on the right, leads with Eisenkot's message to Americans about "deep bonds", citing the Pew decline, his strategic-asset argument and his family's war losses, mostly in his own quotes. Both agree he leads the polls and is Netanyahu's main challenger; they differ in focus, with the Times on his style and rivalry and the Post on US relations and personal sacrifice. The Hindu, an alternative source, adds seat projections and the Dahiya doctrine.
How the sides differ Left sources focus on Eisenkot's contrast with Netanyahu and his low-key style; right sources stress his US message and personal losses; alternative sources add polling and background.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
The New York Times frames Eisenkot as the opposite of Netanyahu and asks if he can win. It highlights his "anti-leader" criticism and supporters' worries about his low-key campaigning.
The Hindu profiles Eisenkot as Netanyahu's challenger, giving the 20-seat projection, his Moroccan-immigrant background, and the Dahiya doctrine, with anti-Netanyahu politics at the campaign's core.
The New York Post leads with Eisenkot's pitch to Americans on the US-Israel bond, citing the Pew drop, his son's and nephews' deaths in Gaza, and his own quotes from an interview.