Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party leads the polls ahead of Tuesday's vote in the Israel election 2026, making him the top contender to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Polls predict Yashar will win some 21 to 23 seats in the 26th Knesset, according to The Jerusalem Post. The party was founded only in September 2025 and did not exist in the outgoing 25th Knesset.
A change at the top would not mean a reversal on the core security questions. According to a Jerusalem Post profile of the party, Eisenkot opposes establishing a Palestinian state, has pledged to destroy Hamas's military wing within 18 months and wants Israel to keep a security corridor in Gaza.
Who is Netanyahu's main opponent in the October 27 vote?
Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Elections for the 26th Knesset will be held on October 27, and Yashar is one of many parties competing.
The Post's profile did not give poll figures for Netanyahu's Likud or for other parties. It did not say which parties Yashar might join in a coalition.
Eisenkot entered politics in August 2022 through Benny Gantz's National Unity alliance, taking third place on its list, The Jerusalem Post reported. That alliance brought together Gantz's Blue and White and New Hope, the party of Gideon Sa'ar, now foreign minister.
Why did Eisenkot and Gantz leave Netanyahu's government?
Eisenkot initially ruled out serving under Netanyahu. After the October 7 attack, however, he and Gantz joined an emergency government, according to the Post.
Gantz became a member of the war cabinet, and Eisenkot served as an observer. Both left the government in June 2024. They accused Netanyahu's leadership of failing to make the strategic decisions needed to achieve the war's objectives, the newspaper reported.
In July 2025, Eisenkot left National Unity and resigned from the Knesset. He cited the need for a transparent and democratic process for selecting the party's candidates, and said National Unity had failed to carry out the internal reforms he sought.
He said he wanted to build a broader leadership alternative capable of defeating the government. Two months later, he founded Yashar with former politicians, senior security figures and other public figures, according to the Post. The party presents itself as a broad alternative focused on Israel's security, national interests and democratic character.
Does Eisenkot support a Palestinian state?
No. Eisenkot has opposed establishing a Palestinian state, The Jerusalem Post reported. He told the newspaper that if the choice were between the Palestinian Authority and continued Hamas rule, he would consider the Palestinian Authority preferable.
Yashar's foreign policy centers on confronting Iran, dismantling Hamas's rule in Gaza, containing Hezbollah in Lebanon and settling the future of Palestinian governance and security arrangements, according to the Post.
The party's main positions on security, as described by the newspaper:
- Gaza: replace Hamas while keeping an Israeli security corridor. Reconstruction would advance step by step alongside partial disarmament. Earlier in October, Eisenkot pledged to destroy Hamas's military wing and dismantle its leadership within 18 months.
- Iran: seek a lasting, verifiable resolution of Iran's nuclear threat. If diplomacy fails, his proposals include US-enforced restrictions around remaining enriched-uranium sites and wider covert action against Iran's missile capabilities.
- Lebanon: maintain a security zone and seek stronger American and French involvement in efforts to confront Hezbollah.
- West Bank: return Civil Administration responsibilities to military coordination and restore military coordination of policing, he told the Post.
The research does not explain how the Gaza elements would fit together in practice. It does not say who would replace Hamas, where the corridor would run or how reconstruction would be phased.
Draft exemptions and soldiers' pay anchor Yashar's domestic plan
At home, Yashar's platform focuses on reforming military-service obligations, easing the cost of living and directing economic support toward working Israelis, young people and those who serve, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The party's clearest position is its opposition to blanket exemptions from military service for haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, men. Eisenkot has proposed sanctions for draft evasion and benefits for those who serve.
He would allow a limited Torah-study exemption for 3% of each annual haredi cohort. The Post reported that this allowance has drawn criticism from opposition rivals who demand no exemptions at all. That raises the question of whether it would survive coalition bargaining.
Yashar's September youth plan proposed raising pay for compulsory-service soldiers by 15%, with a 50% increase for combat soldiers in their third year. The party also proposes expanding service obligations and giving those who serve greater priority in civilian benefits.
Economist and Yashar candidate Shaul Meridor has said the working middle class, young people and those who serve are at the center of the party's economic policy. The rest of his economic plan was not included in the available reporting.
Israelis vote on Tuesday. The Post's profile does not say whether 21 to 23 seats would be enough for Yashar to anchor a governing coalition, or whether Eisenkot would sit with or against Netanyahu after the vote.