jordan pulse -

AMMAN
​Former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army and leader of the opposition "Yeshar" party, Gadi Eisenkot, emerges as one of the most prominent military figures transitioning to politics in Israel. This follows his official designation by President Isaac Herzog to form the new government, succeeding Benjamin Netanyahu, after securing the recommendation of 67 Knesset members.
​Eisenkot (66) faces the complex task of building a governing coalition capable of winning the Knesset's vote of confidence. His designation relies on the support of opposition parties as well as the two Arab lists—the United Arab List (Ra'am) and the Joint List—which collectively won 19 seats in the October 27 elections and recommended his nomination.
​Eisenkot served as Chief of Staff of the Israeli military between 2015 and 2019, culminating a military career that included key positions such as Head of the Northern Command and Head of the Operations Directorate. He was a central military figure during the 2006 war with Lebanon's Hezbollah.
​In 2008, while serving as Head of the Northern Command, Eisenkot articulated what became known as the "Dahiya Doctrine." The military strategy advocates the application of overwhelming and disproportionate force against areas used to launch attacks against Israel, including targeting civilian infrastructure.
​Following his departure from the military, Eisenkot entered politics, positioning himself as a center-right candidate aiming to appeal to voters across traditional political divides amidst deep societal fragmentation experienced during Netanyahu's years in office.
​Political Platform and Regional Stance
​During his electoral campaign, Eisenkot pledged to unify Israelis and rebuild Israel's international standing. However, he maintained hardline positions regarding Palestinians, explicitly rejecting the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He called for ending Hamas's rule in the Gaza Strip within 18 months, either through implementing US President Donald Trump's plan or through sustained military operations targeting the movement's armed wing.
​Regarding the occupied West Bank, Eisenkot defended the continuation of Israeli control while expressing opposition to formal annexation of Palestinian territories and the establishment of unauthorized settlement outposts.
​On the domestic front, he pledged to restrict military service exemptions for Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) seminary students and proposed a national service law encompassing both Haredi communities and Arab citizens. He further announced his commitment to safeguarding judicial independence, the rule of law, minority rights, and press freedom.
​Born in Tiberias to a Moroccan Jewish family and raised in Eilat, Eisenkot's background contrasts sharply with that of Netanyahu, the son of a prominent academic. He also garnered widespread sympathy within Israel following the deaths of his son, Gal, and two of his relatives during the military operations in the Gaza Strip.
​Coalition Challenges Ahead
​Eisenkot faces the difficult challenge of assembling a coalition that bridges deep ideological divides among opposition factions, particularly given unresolved debate over relying on the votes of Arab Knesset members to secure a majority.
​Conversely, Netanyahu called for the formation of a national unity government comprising national and Zionist parties, warning against a government reliant on Arab parliamentary support. Netanyahu argued that such a coalition would be incapable of confronting Hamas, claiming it would lead to internal dissolution from within.
​Source: Rum News Agency