Former IDF chief Eisenkot challenges Netanyahu to a televised debate ahead of Israel's October 27 election

From the Newshound archive · first published 5 October 2026 · last updated 6 October 2026.

Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff who has become Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival for the premiership, is demanding a head-to-head televised debate before the October 27 vote. Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar movement, framed the challenge in terms of democratic accountability, saying he wanted a contest free of 'spins and lies'. His rapid rise has surprised even veteran observers, considering he entered parliamentary politics just four years ago. The election is being described as arguably the most consequential in Israel's history.

Eisenkot, born in Tiberias in 1960, rose from the Golani Brigade to become the IDF's 21st chief of staff in 2015, appointed by Netanyahu himself.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, faces what analysts regard as the most crucial electoral battle of his career, with the vote threatening to define his legacy around October 7.

If elected, Eisenkot would become only the third former IDF chief of staff to serve as Israeli prime minister, following Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak.