Yashar! With Eisenkot

Yashar! Im Eisenkot (Hebrew: ישר! עם איזנקוט, “Straight! With Eisenkot”) is a political party in Israel founded in September 2025 by former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff and Member of Knesset Gadi Eisenkot. The party emerged after Eisenkot resigned from Benny Gantz’s National Unity alliance earlier that summer. It positions itself as a centrist movement focused on integrity, national security, and social healing, while leaving the possibility of future mergers with other factions open.

Eisenkot launched the party on September 16, 2025, declaring its creation a “personal and national duty — to be worthy.” He stated that Israeli citizens “deserve leadership that serves the public with integrity and a deep commitment to our shared future.” The party’s name, Yashar! (literally “straight” or “upright”), reflects Eisenkot’s call for clean governance and responsibility to the public.

Alongside Eisenkot, the party’s founding members included former Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana; retired generals Tal Rousso and Yishai Bar; economist Manuel Trajtenberg; Yoav Horowitz, former director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office; Wix president Nir Zohar; filmmaker Yariv Mozer; Inbar Giti-Harush, former head of the Defense Ministry’s Service Track Directorate; attorney and social activist Inbar Yehezkel; and Shir Sigal, a civic activist and daughter of former hostages from Gush Katif.

Eisenkot described the mission of Yashar! as promoting “repair, healing, and hope for Israeli society.” The party emphasizes:

• Placing Israel’s security and national interests above all other considerations.
• Creating a broad governing alternative capable of forming a stable coalition.
• It serves as a platform for future political unifications rather than as an isolated faction.
• Safeguarding Israel as a Jewish, democratic, and strong state in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.

The party’s rhetoric highlights integrity in governance, societal unity, and commitment to Israel’s prosperity as both a model society internally and an example to the world.

Eisenkot’s move followed weeks of consultations with opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, about creating a new political framework. Although courted to rejoin existing parties, Eisenkot insisted on launching his own platform while leaving room for cooperation ahead of the 2026 elections.

Polls at the launch did not yet clarify Yashar!’s electoral strength. Still, Eisenkot’s stature as a former IDF chief of staff and the broad professional backgrounds of the party’s founders positioned it as a potential centrist alternative. Eisenkot also emphasized that the party’s name and structure might evolve, depending on pre-election alliances.

Sources: Moran Azulay, “Former IDF chief Eisenkot launches new party ‘Yashar’ with prominent Israeli figures,” Ynet, (September 16, 2025).
Nadav Elimelech, “Eisenkot launches new party ‘Yashar! With Eisenkot’,” i24News, (September 16, 2025). [Hebrew]
Sirit Avitan Cohen, Shirit Avitan Cohen, “Eisenkot establishes new party with former Netanyahu aide and hostage survivor’s daughter,” Israel Hayom (September 16, 2025). [Hebrew]