Polymarket bettors now favor Gadi Eisenkot for Israel’s next prime minister

Polymarket betting markets are showing a sharp shift in Israel’s political picture, with former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot rising to the top as the likely next prime minister. The article says the online market has been correcting aggressively in recent weeks, moving away from the idea that the race is mainly between Benjamin Netanyahu’s staying power and Naftali Bennett’s comeback.

Eisenkot now leads with 37.5%, after a steep, almost vertical climb that the piece describes as making him the biggest winner of recent weeks. Bettors appear to see him as the only figure able to unite disappointed Benny Gantz supporters and voters looking for a security-focused candidate without Netanyahu’s or Bennett’s political style. His restrained, state-oriented statements, polished public appearances, and interviews seen as free of ego are cited as reasons investors think he could build a genuinely broad coalition after the election. The article adds that he is also viewed as the only candidate who could break the blocs and bring the ultra-Orthodox into his government.

Netanyahu is in second place with 28%, still under 30% and relatively stable. For bettors, he remains the “safe stock” of the right-wing camp, supported by his base and his continued ability to shape the public narrative. But the article says the market now sees greater and greater obstacles to him forming a stable government, even if he wins another election.

Bennett has dropped to 21% after what the piece calls the most dramatic fall in the chart. Following the momentum from launching his party and joining forces with Yair Lapid, bettors are now asking where the party and organizational structure are. Avigdor Liberman is far behind at 4.8%, but remains on the radar as a possible kingmaker rather than a frontrunner.