Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has endorsed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and his Yashar Party ahead of Israel’s 2026 elections, describing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as being on the “wrong side of history”.
Olmert made the remarks in an interview with Al-Arabiya English on Tuesday, arguing that Eisenkot was more prepared to lead the country than other opposition figures.
He said opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Eisenkot and Yair Golan, were on the right side of history despite their political differences.
According to Olmert, the election could be among the most consequential in Israel’s modern history, with voters deciding the future of the country’s democracy and the standing of its Supreme Court.
He also predicted a significant decline in Netanyahu’s political support, citing polls which he said indicated the prime minister could lose between one-third and 40 per cent of his current political strength.
Olmert criticised Netanyahu for sharing an AI-generated image depicting a nuclear explosion over Tel Aviv shortly before the October 27 election. Netanyahu had used the image to warn of an existential threat from Iran and stress the importance of the election to Israel’s security.
Describing the post as a sign of desperation, Olmert accused Netanyahu of creating an atmosphere of panic and fear for political purposes.
The former prime minister also challenged Netanyahu’s claims about Iran’s nuclear programme, disputing assertions that Israeli attacks had destroyed Iranian atomic bombs. Olmert maintained that Iran had possessed uranium enriched to 60 per cent but had not acquired nuclear weapons.
Despite his criticism of the government, Olmert praised Israel’s military achievements against Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran, while acknowledging the failures of the country’s defence system during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Olmert called for renewed efforts towards a two-state solution, describing it as the best option for Israel.
He also blamed Netanyahu’s policies for contributing to the circumstances that preceded the October 7 attack, accusing the prime minister of refusing to engage meaningfully with the Palestinian Authority while pursuing an understanding with Hamas.
Olmert further warned Israeli political leaders and security commanders that they could face legal consequences if they failed to address violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. He said such accountability could extend to the International Criminal Court.
He concluded by urging Israeli voters to support political change, arguing that a new direction would benefit Israel, the Palestinian people and the wider region.
