以色列特拉维夫——加迪·艾森科特（Gadi Eisenkot）低调务实，本雅明·内塔尼亚胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）则张扬高调。他是一名政治新手，对手却是以色列历史上任职时间最长、政治手腕最老练的总理。
TEL AVIV, Israel — Gadi Eisenkot is as low-key as Benjamin Netanyahu is bombastic. He's a political novice up against the longest-serving, most politically savvy prime minister in Israel's history.
- 然而，在周二大选前夕，艾森科特构成了多年来对内塔尼亚胡掌权地位最严重的威胁。
• And yet, on the eve of Tuesday's elections, Eisenkot poses the most serious threat to Netanyahu's hold on power in years. Why it matters:
为何重要：雅沙尔党（Yashar party）领袖艾森科特若获胜，将颠覆以色列政坛，并可能重塑该国紧张的对外关系。
A victory by the Yashar party leader would upend Israeli politics and could reset the country's strained relationships abroad. The intrigue:
看点：两位主要竞争者之间的反差难以更大。
The contrast between the two top contenders could hardly be sharper.
出身背景：艾森科特是摩洛哥犹太移民的后代，在以色列最南端城市埃拉特长大。
Their roots: Eisenkot, the son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants, grew up in Eilat, Israel's southernmost city.
- 若他当选，艾森科特将成为以色列历史上首位摩洛哥裔总理。
• If he wins, Eisenkot will be the first prime minister of Moroccan descent in Israel's history.
军旅生涯：内塔尼亚胡曾在以色列国防军（IDF）精锐特种部队“马特卡尔将军参谋部侦察队”（Sayeret Matkal）服役，随后投身商界和政坛。
Their military backgrounds: Netanyahu served in the Israel Defense Forces' elite special forces unit "Sayeret Matkal" and later went into business and politics.
- 艾森科特则加入了以色列国防军戈拉尼步兵旅（Golani infantry brigade），作为作战指挥官一步步晋升，最终出任以色列国防军参谋长。周日他在竞选集会上现身，背景音乐是1974年的戈拉尼旅军歌。
• Eisenkot joined the IDF Golani infantry brigade and rose through its ranks as a combat commander until becoming IDF chief of staff. He arrived at his rally on Sunday to the tune of the Golani brigade song from 1974. Their ties to America:
与美国的渊源：内塔尼亚胡对美国政治了如指掌，英语口语比许多美国政客还地道。
Netanyahu is better versed in American politics — and more articulate in English — than many American politicians.
- 艾森科特完全不是一位“美式”政客，更谈不上职业政客。他英语带有浓重的以色列口音，不会抛出朗朗上口的短促金句。他不喜欢上电视。
• Eisenkot is not an "American" politician at all, let alone a professional one. He speaks English with a heavy Israeli accent and doesn't deliver catchy soundbites. He does not enjoy being on TV.
- 在周日最后一场约1000名支持者参加的竞选集会上，艾森科特即便在人群欢呼时，也显得明显不自在，不愿处于聚光灯下。
• At his final campaign rally Sunday before about 1,000 supporters, Eisenkot was visibly uncomfortable being in the spotlight, even when the crowd cheered him on. Their trustworthiness:
可信度：内塔尼亚胡在以色列公众中的信誉，因其旷日持久的贪腐审判、政治手段、拒绝为导致10月7日失误承担责任，以及在处理伊朗战争问题上被指责的两面派做法，已遭重创。
Netanyahu's credibility with the Israeli public has been battered by his long-running corruption trial, his political tactics, his refusal to take responsibility for the failures that led to October 7 and accusations of duplicity in his handling of the Iran war.
- 艾森科特被视为一位直言不讳的人，甚至在许多反对者眼中也是如此。
• Eisenkot is seen as a straight shooter, even among many of his opponents. Zoom in:
深度观察：未能阻止10月7日的袭击促使艾森科特向内塔尼亚胡发起挑战。
The failure to prevent the October 7 attacks spurred Eisenkot to challenge Netanyahu.
- 艾森科特在袭击发生后不久加入了内塔尼亚胡的紧急内阁，他在战争中失去了儿子。后来又在战争中失去了两个侄子。
• Eisenkot, who joined Nƒetanyahu's emergency cabinet shortly after the attacks, lost his son during the war. He later lost two of his nephews in the war.
半个世纪以来，内塔尼亚胡在美国权力走廊培养了庞大的捐助者、游说者和支持者网络。“比比”是美国家喻户晓的人物——无论好坏。
Netanyahu has cultivated a vast network of donors, lobbyists and supporters in American power corridors for the past half-century. Bibi is a household name in America — for better and worse.
- 相比之下，艾森科特在华盛顿几乎无人知晓。即使在犹太组织内部，也极少有人亲自认识他。
• Eisenkot, on the other hand, is almost anonymous in Washington. Very few people know him personally, even within Jewish organizations.
- 他确实在1990年代曾赴美在陆军战争学院攻读硕士学位。
• He did spend time in America in the 1990s studying for a master's degree at the U.S. Army War College.
- 艾森科特与美国的主要联系是通过军方渠道，特别是他与前参谋长联席会议主席约瑟夫·邓福德上将的关系。
• Eisenkot's main connection to the U.S. was through the military, particularly his relationship with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford.
- 2019年从以色列国防军退役后，艾森科特在华盛顿近东政策研究所担任了一年的研究员。
• After retiring from the IDF in 2019, Eisenkot spent a year as a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
数据说话：在大多数选前民调中，艾森科特以8至10个百分点领先内塔尼亚胡。
The numbers: Eisenkot is leading Netanyahu by 8 to 10 points in most pre-election polls.
- 尽管内塔尼亚胡在至少一半选民眼中是“有毒”的，但民调显示艾森科特在各方均享有极高的好感度。
• While Netanyahu is toxic among at least half of the voters, polls show Eisenkot enjoys high likability across the board.
- 内塔尼亚胡公开诋毁他的努力迄今均告失败。
• Netanyahu's efforts to publicly vilify him have been so far unsuccessful.
大局观：艾森科特以中右翼纲领参选。他未作任何全面的外交政策表态，并竭力避免采取任何公开立场，以免让内塔尼亚胡将他描绘为软弱。比比依然试图这么做。
The big picture: Eisenkot ran on a center-right platform. He did not make any sweeping foreign policy pronouncements and took pains to steer clear of any public positions that would allow Netanyahu to paint him as weak. Bibi tried to do it, anyway.
- 艾森科特表示，在当前条件下反对建立巴勒斯坦国。他承诺采取强有力措施，打击犹太人在约旦河西岸针对巴勒斯坦人的恐怖主义行为。
• Eisenkot has expressed opposition to a Palestinian state under current conditions. He has committed to taking strong steps to crack down on Jewish terrorism against Palestinians in the West Bank.
- 他还承诺，在就职后18个月内，通过外交或军事手段结束哈马斯对加沙的控制。
• He also pledged to end Hamas' control of Gaza within 18 months of taking office, either through diplomacy or military force.
- 艾森科特支持对伊朗发动战争并打击其核设施。但他反对内塔尼亚胡试图利用军事力量迫使政权更迭，称其不切实际。
• Eisenkot supported the war against Iran and strikes on its nuclear facilities. But he opposed Netanyahu's attempt to use military power to force regime change, calling it unrealistic.
- 艾森科特支持继续对伊朗施加经济压力，并与阿拉伯世界建立地区联盟以遏制伊朗影响力。
• Eisenkot supports continuing economic pressure on Iran and building a regional alliance with the Arab world to curb Iranian influence. What to
艾森科特一直假设特朗普总统会背书内塔尼亚胡。他试图利用自己与共和党大额捐赠人米里亚姆·阿德尔森的良好关系，游说特朗普保持旁观。
Eisenkot has operated under the assumption that Netanyahu would be endorsed by President Trump. He tried to use his good relationship with GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson to lobby Trump to stay on the sidelines.
- 当特朗普上周以及周日再次背书内塔尼亚胡时，艾森科特没有批评他，反而赞扬了总统对以色列的支持。
• When Trump finally endorsed Netanyahu last week and again on Sunday, Eisenkot didn't criticize him, but rather praised the president's support for Israel.
- “我深信特朗普总统将与以色列人民选出的任何领导人全力合作，”艾森科特周一在 X 平台上写道。
• "I am convinced President Trump will work in full cooperation with any leader that will be elected by the Israeli people," Eisenkot wrote on X Monday.