Analyst Says Eisenkot Dodged a Major Political Mistake by Not Joining Bennett

Michael Shemesh, the political correspondent for Channel 13 News, said in an interview Sunday on Radio 103FM that Gadi Eisenkot is now polling well and looks like the main challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu. Shemesh said Eisenkot used sharp political instincts to realize he still had room to grow politically.

According to Shemesh, Eisenkot was once in a very different position when Naftali Bennett approached him with a proposal to become “number 2.” He argued that accepting that offer would have been “the mistake of his life,” adding that Eisenkot is now clearly stronger than Bennett “in every parameter.”

Shemesh also said people around Bennett believe the campaign has suffered two major setbacks, naming Yair Lapid and Lior Horev. He said the partnership is widely seen as unsuccessful and “a huge political mistake,” and claimed that since the joint party was formed it has been falling apart, creating a need to cut losses.