Eisenkot in Kiryat Bialik. "We're operating in places where I never imagined we'd be able to build a base of support for Gadi," one regional campaign manager says. Credit: Rami ShllushFormer IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is campaigning in the country's deepest Likud strongholds, betting that it will be disenchanted Netanyahu voters who will tip the balance in the upcoming election11:14 AM • July 11 2026 IDTAbout 40 activists and curious residents fill the sparkling living room of Michal Elmalem Abu, Gadi Eisenkot's campaign manager in Dimona. The candidate sits in an armchair in the center of the room beneath a heavy chandelier. He talks about his childhood in Eilat, the one political rally he attended before taking off his uniform (for Menachem Begin) and his mother, who grew old in the southern part of the country, lacking adequate medical care.In the NewsEisenkot Is Quietly Gaining Ground in Likud Territory. Enough to Beat Netanyahu?Armenia's Jews Hope Israeli Recognition of Ottoman Genocide Spurs Bilateral TiesWhen a Palestinian Family's Bathroom Becomes an Israeli Closed Military ZoneIsraeli Police Arrest Jerusalem's Top Muslim Cleric, Ban Him From al-AqsaA Haaretz Reporter Visited the Gaza Border in 1966. His Question Still EchoesRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe 'Special Relationship' Is Gone, and Israel Isn't Ready for What's ComingThe Original Tradwives of Ancient RomeAs Israel Lacks Hundreds of Patrol Officers, West Bank Staff DoublesMade in Kurdistan, Smuggled via Jordan: The Mysterious Firearms Flooding IsraelIsraeli Cop Filmed Throwing Stun Grenade Into Car, Trapping Palestinians InsideInside the German pro-Israel Lobby's Campaign to Defund UNRWA