Israeli election contender Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday vowed to unite the country as he held his final major rally before the vote, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahureceived fresh backing from US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu has campaigned heavily on his security credentials, but Eisenkot has cast him as unfit to lead and pledged a state commission of inquiry into the failings that led to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack under the incumbent's watch. Polls had shown Netanyahu and Eisenkot running neck and neck before a ban on new polling took effect in the three days before Tuesday's vote.
Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad expected to fly in for pivotal vote To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.
On Sunday, Trump urged Israelis to vote for Netanyahu, citing the US-Israel war against Iran as an example of "winning together". "When you go to the Polls please remember that Bibi has been an outstanding Warrior Prime Minister," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, using Netanyahu's nickname. At his event, Eisenkot pledged to heal divisions inside Israeli society after Netanyahu's divisive tenure, and voiced "a commitment to security and the economy".
"Our goal is not for one side to defeat the other. That is not our way," he said on Sunday to an audience of hundreds. "We will work to bring all Israelis together again – those who voted for us and those who did not." Read moreThousands take to Tel Aviv's streets for protests against Netanyahu A relative newcomer to politics – in contrast with Netanyahu and his 30 years on the scene – Eisenkot's pledge to unite Israelis has resonated with some voters, and for many the ex-army chief's plain-spokenness is part of his appeal.
"I feel that he's a rock for us... he's someone I can trust," Yael Shkedi, a 66-year-old jewellery maker, said at Eisenkot's rally. "Amid all this chaos, what really matters to me is this feeling of someone who can somehow bring everyone together, almost like a father figure." In his speech, Eisenkot said he would "always look you in the eye and tell the truth", and pledged to "take responsibility for both successes and failures". He also appealed directly to wavering supporters of Netanyahu's Likud party, urging them to change course.
"Deep down, you too know that Israel cannot go on like this," he said. "Israel needs change." Netanyahu's critics accuse him of putting his political survival above the greater good, and he is currently facing trial on corruption charges, which he denies. Rally attendee Chen Sharon, an army reservist, said she wanted "people that I can count on" in office.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
