Until recently, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was widely seen as the opposition’s strongest contender to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming autumn elections—scheduled no later than 27 October 2026. But a new figure has entered the political arena with striking momentum: Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). His newly formed party, Yashar! (‘Straight!’ or ‘Direct!’), is surging in polls.
A Rising Political Force
According to data published by Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, Eisenkot’s party is projected to win 21 seats in the Knesset—just two short of Netanyahu’s Likud, which stands at 23. Meanwhile, the joint electoral alliance of Bennett and Yair Lapid—called Together—is polling at only 17 seats. Several other major Israeli polls reflect a similar trend.
Netanyahu’s Eroding Authority
Eisenkot’s rise coincides with a period of growing political vulnerability for Netanyahu. His long-standing image as Israel’s ultimate security guarantor appears to be weakening. The U.S.-Iran agreement championed by former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred strong public backlash in Israel—and left Netanyahu politically exposed. Polls show just 11% of Israelis believe their country emerged victorious from the war, while 52% think Netanyahu’s handling of the U.S.-Iran deal harmed Israel’s interests. A Channel 12 survey found that 58% of citizens believe the next prime minister should not be Netanyahu.
Why the Bennett–Lapid Alliance Faded
When Bennett and Lapid announced their April alliance, many expected it would form a powerful counterweight to Netanyahu. Instead, their popularity began to decline. This reflects a longstanding reality in Israeli politics: when two leaders unite, their voter bases don’t necessarily follow. Bennett represents the religious, nationalist right and has long opposed a Palestinian state. Lapid, by contrast, comes from the secular, centrist mainstream and has at times supported the two-state solution. As a result, some of Bennett’s right-wing supporters view his partnership with Lapid with suspicion—believing it pulls him politically leftward.
The General from Eilat
Eisenkot presents a different kind of political proposition: a centrist figure with deep security credentials and no ties to traditional party machinery. Born and raised in Eilat, he is the son of Moroccan immigrants. Unlike Netanyahu and Bennett—who both served in the elite special operations unit Sayeret Matkal—Eisenkot began his military career in infantry and rose through the ranks via operational command, eventually leading the IDF from 2015 to 2019.