Jerusalem Post columnist names Gadi Eisenkot person of the year 5786
In Israel, Jerusalem Post columnist Amotz Asa-El named Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot the person of the year 5786. According to the author, Eisenkot has become a symbol of possible political change and the de facto leader of the opposition.
Assessment of the political year
Asa-El believes that for Israel, the year 5786 was primarily political, despite the military events. He wrote that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to pass legislation on exemption from military service demanded by his ultra-Orthodox allies.
The columnist also compared this year's operation against Iran with last year's. In his assessment, the current operation was American, with Israel acting as its partner, and the campaign had no final result. The author noted that this provides no grounds to again name Netanyahu person of the year, since, in his view, he did not determine the course of the political year.
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Arguments in favor of Eisenkot
The column states that Eisenkot has not presented draft laws, a separate action program, or detailed positions on the judicial crisis, the structure of the political system, and healthcare and education problems. At the same time, Asa-El argues that Eisenkot has begun to be perceived across different parts of the political spectrum as a harbinger and potential driver of change.
The author contrasted Eisenkot's restrained style with Netanyahu's public image. He also wrote that Eisenkot is the father and uncle of three servicemen who were killed in Gaza, and that he embodies for some Israelis the sense of pain, resistance, and outrage of the past three years.
