🗳️🚨Gadi Eisenkot, the former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, is expected to become Prime Minister of Israel following Tuesday's elections, replacing Netanyahu.
📌 Many of the current narratives around Israel will have to change quickly if Eisenkot wins... but those expecting a broad shift in military doctrine (or de-escalation with Iran) if Netanyahu loses the election may not get it.
📌 He is Mizrahi, of Moroccan origin (Israel's opponents won't be able to label him a white European).
📌 His son and two of his nephews were killed in Gaza... and he is extremely firm on the complete disarmament of Hamas and the destruction of its military capabilities.
📌 He was previously a supporter of the two-state solution, but like many Israelis, he changed his position after October 7, and now opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
📌 He differs with Bibi on the conscription of Haredim... where he supports it (with only a 3% exemption rate).
📌 He strongly and publicly opposes settler violence in the West Bank.
📌 On Iran, he agrees with Bibi (and most Israelis) on the need to ensure the destruction of their nuclear capabilities... but he differs in opposing regime change of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a military strategy.
📌 His military policy toward Lebanon is very similar to Bibi's.
📌 He wants to restore bilateral relations (from both parties) between the United States and Israel, but he believes Bibi has yielded too much to American pressures.
📌 The outcome if he wins would likely be a more centrist leadership with broader local and international support.
📌 But don't expect the status quo regarding the current escalation with Iran or its proxies to change radically.
📌 Many of the current narratives around Israel will have to change quickly if Eisenkot wins... but those expecting a broad shift in military doctrine (or de-escalation with Iran) if Netanyahu loses the election may not get it.
📌 He is Mizrahi, of Moroccan origin (Israel's opponents won't be able to label him a white European).
📌 His son and two of his nephews were killed in Gaza... and he is extremely firm on the complete disarmament of Hamas and the destruction of its military capabilities.
📌 He was previously a supporter of the two-state solution, but like many Israelis, he changed his position after October 7, and now opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
📌 He differs with Bibi on the conscription of Haredim... where he supports it (with only a 3% exemption rate).
📌 He strongly and publicly opposes settler violence in the West Bank.
📌 On Iran, he agrees with Bibi (and most Israelis) on the need to ensure the destruction of their nuclear capabilities... but he differs in opposing regime change of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a military strategy.
📌 His military policy toward Lebanon is very similar to Bibi's.
📌 He wants to restore bilateral relations (from both parties) between the United States and Israel, but he believes Bibi has yielded too much to American pressures.
📌 The outcome if he wins would likely be a more centrist leadership with broader local and international support.
📌 But don't expect the status quo regarding the current escalation with Iran or its proxies to change radically.