AI-Driven Smear Campaigns and the Rise of Gadi Eisenkot: The New Battle for Israel’s Premiership
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The Algorithmic War for the Knesset
On the evening of June 8, the official X account of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party released a brief, four-word message accompanied by an 11-second video. The clip, clearly synthesized via artificial intelligence, depicted Gadi Eisenkot and Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi standing together under a canopy of ominous, dark clouds. The caption was blunt: “Eisenkot does not have a government without the Arabs.”
While the political objective—painting the opposition as dependent on Arab coalitions—is a long-standing staple of Likud’s strategy, the medium marks a significant shift. The use of AI-generated imagery to create synthetic narratives is no longer just a theoretical risk; it is now a core pillar of the campaign ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for late October. According to an advisor to Netanyahu, this is only the beginning, with approximately 400 similar AI-driven videos queued for release.
The intensity of this digital offensive signals that the Israeli establishment now views former military chief Gadi Eisenkot as the most viable threat to the country’s longest-serving leader. For months, the anti-Netanyahu bloc was fragmented between figures like Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. However, Eisenkot’s Yashar party—meaning “straight” or “honest”—has surged from single-digit polling to a position of genuine contention.
A Study in Contrast: The Performer vs. The Planner
The current political climate has created a stark contrast in personal branding. Netanyahu, 76, is a master of the high-production political theater, leveraging his American upbringing and polished international delivery to maintain a persona of global statesmanship. In contrast, Eisenkot, 66, represents a different kind of authority: the understated, process-driven military strategist. He is the second of nine children born to Moroccan immigrants, having risen through the ranks of the Golani Brigade to eventually lead the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2015 to 2019.
Likud’s digital strategy is attempting to weaponize these differences. Recent campaign videos have mocked Eisenkot’s heavily accented English, contrasting it with Netanyahu’s fluency. Other attacks suggest a perceived lack of aggression, claiming “Gadi wouldn’t strike Iran.” Yet, for a significant portion of the electorate, this lack of theatricality is precisely what makes Eisenkot appealing. In a period of extreme volatility, the image of a soft-spoken former general may be more resonant than the polished rhetoric of a career politician.
The Path from General to Politician
Eisenkot’s transition to politics was not immediate. After leaving the IDF, he initially entered the fray under Benny Gantz, eventually joining the emergency war cabinet following the events of October 7. However, the relationship between Eisenkot and Netanyahu fractured over the strategic conduct of the war. In February 2024, Eisenkot penned a critical letter to the cabinet, arguing that the government was pursuing tactical gains without a coherent strategic objective, particularly regarding the recovery of hostages in Gaza.
The conflict also took a profound personal toll. While Netanyahu’s son, Yair, spent a portion of the conflict in Miami, Eisenkot suffered the loss of his youngest son, Gal, in Gaza, as well as two nephews killed in combat. This shared experience of sacrifice has provided Eisenkot with a level of moral authority that is difficult to dismantle with AI-generated clips.
The latest data from Channel 12 suggests the strategy of running independently is paying off. Eisenkot’s party is projected to secure 21 seats in the Knesset, trailing Likud’s 23 and surpassing the combined Bennett-Lapid effort at 18 seats. With 38% of respondents in recent polls favoring Eisenkot for prime minister over Netanyahu’s 36%, the election is shaping up to be a referendum on leadership style: the polished architect of political survival versus the grieving general seeking strategic clarity.
