Eisenkot's Election Failure Leaves Him With Limited Options

Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff, may be celebrating prematurely if he believes he leads the larger "bloc" in the recent elections. Real-world results are expected to prove that the "religious bloc" is larger, forcing Eisenkot to reconsider his definition of victory, which appears to be based on his military experience rather than actual electoral outcomes.

Even according to preliminary exit polls, Eisenkot lacks the ability to form a government, even with the inclusion of the Arab Ra'am party. His assertion that he can still oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Arab votes positions him as a left-wing, rather than centrist, candidate. While his chances of succeeding are slim, the attempt itself could lead to him becoming a political figure akin to Yair Lapid. The article suggests Eisenkot may have poor advisors or a more extreme ideology than he publicly admits.

Eisenkot is described as having failed in these elections, receiving fewer votes than Lapid and Benny Gantz at their peaks, and being overshadowed by Naftali Bennett. Continuing on his current path will likely erode his public standing. The article posits that his only salvation is to shift his approach and become a national player, rather than adhering to bloc politics. It warns against trying to anchor himself in the shrinking left-wing minority bloc, especially as the Netanyahu era nears its end.

Furthermore, the article suggests that the Likud and Religious Zionism's campaign to suppress votes for Eisenkot might prove to be Netanyahu's biggest strategic blunder. While final results are pending, it's believed Netanyahu may have peeled off one or two mandates from Eisenkot, potentially strengthening Bennett and Eisenkot slightly as well. This conscious campaign decision is estimated to have cost Netanyahu four mandates, impacting his ability to negotiate for a bloc government.

The Likud also faces challenges, with diminished trust and less impressive standing for Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich, and Itamar Ben-Gvir. The current outcome resembles the period of direct election and double ballot voting, which led to a proliferation of smaller parties. The article concludes that a significant change is necessary to avoid continued political instability and ineffective governments, advocating for the dissolution of "bloc politics" and the formation of a unity government with a rotation between Likud and the National Unity Party.