Eisenkot takes aim at Netanyahu as Israel heads to polls
TEL AVIV: Israeli election contender Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday vowed to unite the country as he held his final major rally before the vote, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to tar his main rival as soft on Iran.
Tel Aviv, Israel is set to hold its electoral vote on Tuesday, with leading candidates Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu locked in a tight race. Eisenkot, a newcomer to politics, vowed to unify the nation, while Netanyahu sought to portray Eisenkot as weak vis-à-vis Iran. The former army chief emphasized his commitment to security, the economy, and truth-telling, pledging to hold a state inquiry into the Hamas attacks under Netanyahu's watch.
Polls had indicated a near-even split between the two contenders, but a new poll ban began three days prior to the election. Eisenkot, appealing to voters' desire for change and trustworthiness, urged supporters of Netanyahu's Likud party to reconsider their allegiance. In contrast, Netanyahu accused Eisenkot and his allies of seeking to establish a Palestinian state, dismissing the threat of Iran as secondary to their supposed goal.
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