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Israel's national elections this fall will include a vote for prime minister for the first time in four years. Benjamin Netanyahu is the country's longest-serving leader, but his approval ratings have fallen, and many Israelis are weary after nearly three years of war. A challenger to Netanyahu is surging in the polls, a political outsider who's tapping into a growing desire for change. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: A few hundred people fill rows of white plastic chairs on a backyard grassy hilltop in this rural, northern town.
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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: (Speaking Hebrew) Gadi Eisenkot.
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KAHN: They've come to hear Gadi Eisenkot, the 66-year-old former Israeli military chief, who's upending traditional Israeli politics.
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GADI EISENKOT: (Speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: He's more gruff than seasoned speaker, but he doesn't shy away from taking his newly formed Yashar party - which translates as straight or honest - into conservative strongholds, places like Me'ona here in the north, far from Israel's power centers, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. He may not have polish, but his rhetoric bites, especially when he touts his security credentials and military record.
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EISENKOT: (Speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: "Look, combine the military service of all six leaders in the government now, multiply it by five, and that is still five years less than what I served," he says to applause.
Most Israelis know his most public military story. He lost his son, a reservist, in Israel's war in Gaza. Two nephews were also killed there. Not long after his son's death, Eisenkot left Netanyahu's war Cabinet, where he was a key adviser. He accused the prime minister of undermining deals to end the fighting and bring the hostages home.
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EISENKOT: (Speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: "Israel needs leadership, straightforward leadership that knows how to look people in the eye, speak the truth and above all, restore hope," he tells the crowd.
Like many here, high school teacher Michal Kaminsky (ph) values those qualities and what she says is Eisenkot's greatest appeal - he's not Netanyahu.
MICHAL KAMINSKY: He listens. He doesn't blame. And he wants to create peace inside the people of Israel.
KAHN: And unlike Netanyahu, Eisenkot doesn't speak fluent English nor give interviews to the foreign press. We were told we could attend the rally but not ask any questions. Instead, at this early stage in the race, Eisenkot is concentrating on building his anti-establishment image, which seems to be working. He's edged Netanyahu from the top spot in several recent polls, says Maoz Rosenthal, a Jerusalem-based political scientist.
MAOZ ROSENTHAL: It's not only an Israeli thing because, I mean, we know worldwide of the phenomenon of anti-politics, of people growing tired of politics, and Eisenkot is kind of riding this wave in a very effective way. No doubt about it.
KAHN: And he stays clear of controversial topics. You won't hear him talking about Palestinians, occupation or a two-state solution, says Rosenthal.
ROSENTHAL: Israeli politicians have no interest in speaking about this topic right now. Public opinion does not support any type of really peaceful resolution.
KAHN: Even suggesting a coalition with established Arab Israeli parties has become a wedge issue.
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UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Eisenkot (speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: Netanyahu started running these ads, accusing Eisenkot of collaborating with left-wing candidates and Arab parties who support Palestinian rights. Political psychologist Eran Halperin of Hebrew University says Netanyahu always gives voters someone to fear. But that's going to be hard with Eisenkot because he's definitely not a leftist or dovish on security.
ERAN HALPERIN: It's very, very difficult for Netanyahu to mobilize people to actually get out to vote because they don't have anyone to hate.
KAHN: Halperin says without a bogeyman, Netanyahu could see as much as a third of his right-wing party voters sit out Election Day. And Eisenkot has another advantage to siphon off Netanyahu's traditional base - his identity. He's a Mizrahi Jew of North African descent, and they traditionally vote conservative. Since Israel was created, prime ministers have only been of Ashkenazi or Eastern European heritage.
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KAHN: Back at the Eisenkot rally, Ajwad Abu Dula (ph) from a nearby Arab Druze village says he voted twice for Netanyahu, but not again.
AJWAD ABU DULA: (Speaking Hebrew).
KAHN: "The government has not treated us well up here," he says, "and everyone is tired of the constant wars. In Eisenkot," he says, "we believe in this man to make a change in the country."
Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Me'ona, Israel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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