Who is Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief challenging Netanyahu?

Who is Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief challenging Netanyahu? Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Tue, 07/28/2026 - 11:00 A former member of Israel's war cabinet, Eisenkot has emerged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest challenger in years Gadi Eizenkot, a former Israeli minister without portfolio and the 21st chief of general staff of the Israeli army, speaks during the Herzliya Conference at Reichman University on 24 June 2024 (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP) Off Three months from now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face the toughest election of his political career. The fallout from the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, Israel's military campaigns across the Middle East and the contentious issue of conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men have reshaped the country's political landscape, eroding support for Netanyahu and his governing coalition.