Ex-Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot Challenges Netanyahu in Israel; New Survey Shows His Yesh Atid Party Leading by Four Seats
Summary: A new survey ahead of Israel’s general election scheduled for October 27 shows former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot’s Yesh Atid party leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party by four seats. The survey projects Yesh Atid winning 25 seats and Likud 21 seats, though no party has yet secured the 61-seat majority required to form a government. As Eizenkot’s political influence grows, Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet is considering providing him with enhanced armed protection. Report dated August 15, Kathmandu.
As Israel approaches the October 27 general election, opposition leader and former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot is posing an increasing challenge to Prime Minister Netanyahu. A new survey published Thursday by ‘Zman Israel’ suggests Eizenkot’s Yesh Atid could win 25 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud party may claim only 21 seats. This four-seat lead for Yesh Atid marks a widening gap compared to recent polls, which generally showed a narrow difference between the two parties.
With nearly two months remaining before the election, the path to forming a government remains uncertain despite Yesh Atid’s lead. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has a total of 120 seats, requiring a minimum of 61 for a stable majority. The survey forecasts that the anti-Netanyahu ‘Change Bloc’ would secure 58 seats, falling three seats short of a majority. Netanyahu’s allied parties are projected to win 50 seats, while Arab parties could obtain 12 seats. Among these, the Ram Party and Hadash-Ta’al are each expected to win around six seats. This fragmentation indicates that no major political coalition is positioned to secure an outright majority prior to the election.
Concerns regarding Eizenkot’s security are also mounting. According to a report from Israeli Channel 12, there have been indications of threats targeting Israeli political leaders originating from Iran. While Netanyahu receives official government security, Eizenkot has not yet been provided formal protection. His active political engagement has increased concerns about his safety. In response to the intensifying election campaign, Shin Bet is reportedly considering granting him armed security coverage.
Gadi Eizenkot, born May 19, 1960, in Tiberias, Israel, is a former Chief of Staff who spent over four decades in military service before transitioning into politics. He joined the Israeli Defense Forces at age 18 and held various commanding roles before being appointed as the 21st Chief of Staff in 2015. After 41 years of military service, he retired in 2019. During his military career, he served as the military secretary to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense and held the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff from 2013 to 2014. After retirement, he entered politics, joining the National Unity Party in 2022 and becoming a member of the Knesset. Following Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023, his party joined Netanyahu’s coalition government, but in 2024, he decided to leave the government. In 2025, he split from the National Unity Party to establish his own party, Yesh Atid. Currently, Eizenkot stands as Netanyahu’s principal political challenger, with the latest survey indicating Yesh Atid’s growing influence ahead of the upcoming elections.