The main candidates facing PM Netanyahu in Israel’s elections

JERUSALEM - Israel will hold a general election on Oct 27, Parliament announced on July 12, with veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to stay in power.

Here are his main rivals.

Gadi Eisenkot: The general

Israeli opposition leader and former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot has kept his positions on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict vague. PHOTO: REUTERS

The son of Moroccan immigrants, Gadi Eisenkot, 66, holds a great deal of public sympathy, particularly following the death in combat of his son Gal and two of his nephews during the Gaza war.

But the former military chief of staff lacks political experience.

He served as military secretary to prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, before entering politics in 2022 alongside the centrist Benny Gantz, his predecessor as army chief.

Eisenkot has kept his positions on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict vague.

He was a member of Netanyahu’s war Cabinet between October 2023 and June 2024, when he resigned.

He has been a scathing critic of Netanyahu’s wartime leadership and founded his own party Yashar (meaning “Straight”) in 2025.

It groups a diverse set of political figures, including the daughter of two former Gaza hostages, and the former head of Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet.

Naftali Bennett: The comeback

Israeli commentators believe former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett can attract right-wing voters who are disappointed with Netanyahu. PHOTO: REUTERS

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, 54, is placed in many polls as Netanyahu’s main potential rival.

The former tech entrepreneur established himself as a leading figure in the nationalist right and settler movement, formerly heading the Yesha Council – the main body representing Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

He later entered politics within the national-religious camp, becoming education and then defence minister.

Bennett caused a stir in 2021 by forming a diverse coalition spanning the Israeli political spectrum, with the unprecedented support of an Arab party.

This brought an end to Netanyahu’s 12 uninterrupted years in power, but Bennett’s government only lasted a year.

After a period away from political life, Bennett returned to the forefront following Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Israeli commentators believe he can attract right-wing voters who are disappointed with Netanyahu but do not want to move towards the centre or left.

While a hardliner on security issues and opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, Bennett appears to some voters as a more pragmatic and less divisive alternative to the current premier.

He has forged an alliance with his former running mate and current opposition leader Yair Lapid in a bid to secure as many votes as possible.

Yair Lapid: The former TV star

Yair Lapid has been one of the most familiar faces in Israeli politics for over a decade. PHOTO: REUTERS

Journalist turned politician Yair Lapid, 62, has been one of the most familiar faces in Israeli politics for over a decade.

The former star television presenter founded the centrist Yesh Atid party in 2012 and swiftly established himself as one of Netanyahu’s main opponents.

Lapid has served as a minister on several occasions, notably as finance and later foreign minister.

He briefly took over as prime minister in 2022 as part of a rotation power-sharing deal with Bennett.

Lapid is ever-present on social media, reacting to almost every political or security development as the main voice of the anti-Netanyahu camp.

An avowed secularist and advocate of a centrist and liberal line, he was one of the leading figures in the mobilisation against the government’s judicial reform that deeply divided Israel before Hamas’s attack.

Despite his fame and political experience, Lapid struggles to win over voters beyond his core base of urban, secular and moderate Israelis.

Few observers currently see him winning the top job on his own.

But with a handful of seats and an alliance with Bennett, Lapid could once again find himself in the role of kingmaker.

Avigdor Lieberman: The secular nationalist

Avigdor Lieberman is one of the few politicians to have headed three of Israel’s key ministries, having served as foreign, defence and finance minister. PHOTO: AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN/FACEBOOK

Born in Soviet Moldova in 1958, Avigdor Lieberman moved to Israel in the late 1970s and is a veteran of the political scene.

He first made a name for himself as one of Netanyahu’s closest associates, serving as his chief of staff.

Several observers credit Lieberman with playing a key role in Netanyahu’s 1996 election victory.

After founding the secular nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, Lieberman initially relied on the Russian-speaking electorate, before gradually broadening his base to include part of the Israeli right.

He is one of the few politicians to have headed three of Israel’s key ministries, having served as foreign, defence and finance minister.

Lieberman regularly criticises Netanyahu on social media, sometimes in provocative fashion, and advocates a hardline security stance.

He is also opposed to the privileges granted to Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jews and has for years called for their military conscription. AFP