Why Israel’s Ex-Army Chief’s Next Mission Could Be Mission Impossible

What the report says

Gadi Eisenkot, Israel’s former military chief, is being presented as a potential contender to try to assemble a new governing coalition and possibly replace Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister, according to the New York Times. The report frames the prospect as a major political opening for Eisenkot, while stressing that the task would be extremely difficult.

The central challenge is Israel’s fragmented political landscape, which has repeatedly made it hard for any one leader to gather enough support to govern. The Times says Eisenkot is poised to be given a chance to try, but that the obstacles ahead are formidable. In that context, the effort would likely depend on building alliances across parties with very different positions on security, religion, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader domestic policy.

If Eisenkot does move forward, the effort would mark a significant shift in Israeli politics because it would directly challenge Netanyahu, who has remained one of the country’s most dominant political figures. More broadly, the situation reflects ongoing instability in Israel’s parliamentary system, where coalition-building often determines who leads the government. The report does not indicate that a change in leadership has already occurred, only that Eisenkot may have an opportunity to attempt it.