Gadi Eisenkot
Israel
Yashar
Knesset member
government
Gadi Eisenkot, also spelt Eizenkot, is an Israeli general, politician and leader of the Yashar party. He served from 2015 to 2019 as the 21st chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and from 2023 to 2024 as a minister without portfolio in Israel's unity government. Eisenkot, who grew up in Eilat, pursued maritime studies and later served in the IDF's Golani Brigade. He holds a B.A. in history from Tel Aviv University and a post-graduate degree in political science from Haifa University. Married with five children, he resides in Herzliya. One of his sons, Gal, was killed in action during the Gaza war.
Standing...
Stories...
Sep 30, 2026
Center
Still not provided Shin Bet security despite clear threats, leading to a Supreme Court petition by the Democrats party.
Yesh Atid sees him as a responsible centrist statesman whose abandonment by the government exposes Netanyahu's political use of security resources.
Sep 28, 2026
Far Right
Received a Shin Bet-approved personal protection detail.
Seen by Religious Zionism as the face of the old security elite that failed on October 7; the protection is read as the establishment shielding its own from accountability.
Sep 28, 2026
Center
Visited the protest sukkah of October 7 families and promised a state inquiry in the first weeks of a new government.
Yesh Atid sees Eisenkot as a credible security voice who reinforces the demand for accountability, though his alliance with Gantz remains a point of negotiation.
Sep 27, 2026
Center
Also named in the Saturday night meeting, as a potential leader of the anti-Netanyahu camp.
Eisenkot's refusal to merge with Yesh Atid during the last election cost the camp seats, and Yesh Atid now demands a clear commitment to unity before any deal.
Sep 26, 2026
Far Left
Eisenkot, National Unity MK, has criticized the government's handling of security but stopped short of supporting protests.
Hadash sees Eisenkot as a military figure whose opposition is limited to style, not substance, as he supports continued occupation.
Sep 24, 2026
Center
Golan expressed concern that the Yesh Atid leader will launch the big party campaign that could drink votes from the Democrats.
Yesh Atid sees Eisenkot as the most credible centrist alternative to Netanyahu and is betting on him to consolidate the change bloc, but Golan's public doubts show that the merger is not yet sealed and the center-left is still split.
Sep 23, 2026
Center
Eisenkot said he supports disqualifying Balad chairman Abu Shehadeh from running for the Knesset, and the attorney general did not rule it out.
Yesh Atid, which sits with Eisenkot in the National Unity-led bloc despite tensions, is wary of selective disqualification as a slippery slope and prefers to beat Balad and the far right at the ballot box.
Sep 18, 2026
Far Right
The Yashar! chairman said the next prime minister must serve a full four-year term and rejected rotation governments and political tricks.
Eisenkot is seen as a potential centre-right partner but also as a rival who could siphon votes from Likud and National Unity; his anti-rotation stance appeals to those tired of unstable coalitions, yet his lack of a clear right-wing ideological anchor concerns Religious Zionists.
Sep 18, 2026
Center
Yesh Atid chair attacked Bennett and Liberman as 'shticks' and said he opposes a rotation or alternate PM arrangement.
Yesh Atid sees Eisenkot attacking the center-right rivals instead of Netanyahu, which fragments the anti-Netanyahu bloc and helps Likud.
Sep 15, 2026
Lean Left
Emerged as the main rival to Netanyahu ahead of Israeli legislative elections, according to Libération.
Socialists hope he can weaken the Israeli far right, which they blame for undermining any path to a two-state solution.