Eisenkot Campaign Celebrates Early Victory, Then Faces Disappointment

The election night headquarters of Gadi Eisenkot's party began as a celebration, reaching a peak with a victory speech delivered around 1 a.m. However, by morning, the initial euphoria had turned to disappointment as it became clear that forming a government would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Eisenkot, with or without Arab political support. Reporters from around the world, including the US, China, Poland, and the Netherlands, gathered at the converted basketball arena serving as the campaign headquarters, eager to witness the dramatic election night developments.

As the exit poll results neared, tension mounted within the headquarters. Shortly before 10 p.m., the awaited results were released: Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 55 seats, while Eisenkot's bloc was projected to secure 49 seats, with other channels reporting 53. Despite the discrepancy, the atmosphere was filled with celebration and hope, with current and former Knesset members alongside activists chanting slogans like "Bibi is going home!" and "The majority of the people, 70 seats, told Benjamin Netanyahu: Go home. We don't trust you. October 7th failure, go home. Gadi Eisenkot will know how to form a government."

Eisenkot himself addressed the crowd, stating, "It can already be determined that Netanyahu finds himself tonight facing a larger and stronger national Zionist majority. A worthy leader would have accepted the people's vote of no confidence and announced his retirement from political life today." The initial elation, however, began to wane as the night progressed and the possibility of a different outcome emerged. The belief in a victory, even a fleeting one, at Eisenkot's headquarters was replaced by the stark reality of the morning, indicating that the celebration may have been premature.