Israel's Netanyahu faces election challenge from hawkish ex-general

AI Summary

Former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, known for his hawkish security stance and personal connection to the Gaza conflict, is leading polls against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of upcoming elections. Eisenkot's military background and policy approach contrast sharply with Netanyahu's long tenure and corruption allegations.

By Alexander Cornwell TEL AVIV, June 26 (Reuters) - Israel's former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who lost a son in Gaza and boasts of his "Dahiyeh doctrine" of smashing foes with disproportionate force, is surging in polls and could oust Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister in a coming election. Eisenkot, 66, has projected an image as a political outsider, soldier and security hawk whose humble background and family sacrifices stand in vivid contrast to Netanyahu's decades in high office and lingering corruption cases.