Top Rival Vows to Unite Israel as Netanyahu Brands Him as Soft on Iran

Israeli election contender Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday vowed to unite the country as he held his final major rally before the vote, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to portray his main rival as soft on Iran.

Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, but Eisenkot has described him as unfit to lead and pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry into the failures that led to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack during Netanyahu’s tenure.

Polls had shown Netanyahu and Eisenkot running neck and neck before a ban on new polling took effect in the three days leading up to Tuesday’s vote.

Speaking to an audience of hundreds on Sunday, Eisenkot pledged to heal divisions within Israeli society after Netanyahu’s divisive tenure and expressed “a commitment to security and the economy.”

“Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That is not our way,” he said. “We will work to bring all Israelis together again — those who voted for us and those who did not.”

A relative newcomer to politics, in contrast to Netanyahu and his 30 years on the political scene, Eisenkot’s pledge to unite Israelis has resonated with some voters. For many, the former army chief’s straightforward manner is part of his appeal.

“I feel that he’s a rock for us… he’s someone I can trust,” said Yael Shkedi, a 66-year-old jewellery maker, at Eisenkot’s rally.

“Amid all this chaos, what really matters to me is this feeling of someone who can somehow bring everyone together, almost like a father figure.”

In his speech, Eisenkot said he would “always look you in the eye and tell the truth” and pledged to “take responsibility for both successes and failures.”

He also directly appealed to wavering supporters of Netanyahu’s Likud party, urging them to change course.

“Deep down, you too know that Israel cannot go on like this,” he said. “Israel needs change.”

Netanyahu’s critics accuse him of prioritising his political survival over the greater good. He is currently facing trial on corruption charges, which he denies.

Chen Sharon, an army reservist attending the rally, said she wanted “people that I can count on” in office.

“We need someone whose values and what he represents to us we can actually believe in,” she said.

Throughout the campaign, Netanyahu has appealed to Israeli voters who oppose the creation of a Palestinian state. Posters bearing the slogan “Either the Right or Palestine” have been displayed across the country.

He has also highlighted the ongoing, unresolved war against Iran, which he launched alongside US President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him in the election race.

Appearing on Channel 14 after Eisenkot’s rally, Netanyahu again suggested that the former general and his allies “want to create a Palestinian state, a catastrophe for Israel.”

“They will not destroy Iran’s nuclear programme,” he told an enthusiastic studio audience. “We’ve done 90 percent of the work, 10 percent remains. Who is going to do it? Eisenkot and the Muslim Brotherhood? No. Only I can do it.”

Eisenkot has said he opposes a Palestinian state but has pledged to crack down on extremist West Bank settlers who have attacked Palestinians with impunity.

On Sunday, Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image of a mushroom cloud engulfing Tel Aviv, alongside text attributed to a right-wing political commentator describing Iran as an existential threat and arguing that all other issues discussed during the election campaign were trivial by comparison.

In a post on X addressing Netanyahu on Saturday, Eisenkot accused the prime minister of exaggerating the Iranian threat whenever it suited his political interests.

“You have once again failed spectacularly and blatantly to achieve the war objectives you yourself set,” he added.

Veteran opposition leader Yair Lapid, who has promised to join a coalition with Eisenkot, said Netanyahu had “lost his grip.”

“Yesterday, Netanyahu announced that U.S. security aid was over and that sanctions would crush our economy. This morning, he posted a video in which an atomic bomb lands on Tel Aviv,” Lapid said on X.

“This man has lost his grip. We absolutely must send him home.”