The opposition leader and former Israeli Chief of Staff, Gadi Eisenkot, at the launch of his election campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled by the end of October, on June 30, 2026, near Hod Hasharon, Israel. (Credit: Amir Cohen/Reuters)
When Gadi Eisenkot was appointed chief of the general staff of the Israeli army in 2015, his mother, Shoshana, reportedly said “I wanted him to become a rabbi.” The remark reflected a hint of disappointment but did not diminish her pride. She and her husband were modest immigrants of Moroccan origin. Their son had steadily climbed the ranks after enlisting at 18 and launching his military career with the Golani Brigade. Today, he aims to become prime minister and bring Benjamin Netanyahu’s era in Israeli history to a definitive close. His profile appeals to many. Some in Israel view him as the complete opposite of Netanyahu. They also see him as a representative of citizens from the country’s periphery. Born in Tiberias in the north of the country in 1960 to immigrant parents, he grew up in the southern city of Eilat, between the Negev...
When Gadi Eisenkot was appointed chief of the general staff of the Israeli army in 2015, his mother, Shoshana, reportedly said “I wanted him to become a rabbi.” The remark reflected a hint of disappointment but did not diminish her pride. She and her husband were modest immigrants of Moroccan origin. Their son had steadily climbed the ranks after enlisting at 18 and launching his military career with the Golani Brigade. Today, he aims to become prime minister and bring Benjamin Netanyahu’s era in Israeli history to a definitive close. His profile appeals to many. Some in Israel view him as the complete opposite of Netanyahu. They also see him as a representative of citizens from the country’s periphery. Born in Tiberias in the north of the country in 1960 to immigrant parents, he grew up in the southern city of Eilat, between the...
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