Tech entrepreneur Eyal Waldman warns Netanyahu victory could threaten Israeli democracy and economy
Israeli technology entrepreneur Eyal Waldman has issued a stark warning about the potential consequences of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu winning the upcoming election, telling Maariv that continued political instability under Netanyahu's leadership could drive talented Israelis abroad and weaken the country's democracy.
"If Bibi wins the election, I believe Israel will be in serious trouble: without a properly functioning police force and without a Supreme Court. Israel may cease to be a democracy," Waldman said in the interview published Thursday. "The departure of talented people from the country will increase. Those who are less talented will remain because they have no choice, and the economy will deteriorate."
Waldman, founder of semiconductor company Mellanox Technologies, which was acquired by Nvidia for $7.13 billion in April 2020, has thrown his support behind Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, ahead of the October 27, 2026 legislative election. Eisenkot, who served as Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019, founded Yashar in September 2025 and has assembled a security-focused ticket that includes former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen, who headed Israel's security agency from 2011 to 2016, as the party's second candidate.
"I think we are facing a serious long term problem in terms of what is happening with some of the settlers in the territories and with the haredim," Waldman said. "The solution is to have a different government. I hope Eisenkot wins the election, and then everything will be different."
Personal tragedy shapes political engagement
Waldman's political activism has been deeply influenced by personal loss. His daughter Danielle, 24, and her boyfriend Noam Shay, 26, were killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival near the Gaza border on October 7, 2023. Since then, Waldman has become increasingly vocal in Israeli public debate.
The entrepreneur said he has received multiple offers to enter politics directly, though not from Netanyahu's coalition partners. "I received several offers to enter politics, but not from Bibi, not from Smotrich, not from Ben Gvir, not from Goldknopf, and not from Shas," he said. "If I thought that was the last thing left to do to save the country, I would go into politics."
Israel Prize controversy highlighted political tensions
Waldman's relationship with the Netanyahu government has been contentious. In 2024, Education Minister Yoav Kisch attempted to prevent Waldman from receiving the Israel Prize for entrepreneurship after learning of his selection, requesting the committee not award the honor due to Waldman's criticism of Netanyahu. When the committee refused, Kisch restructured the award ceremony. Despite the political interference, Waldman ultimately received the prize, which recognized his decades of contributions to Israel's technology sector.
Before founding Mellanox in 1999, Waldman had established Galileo Technology in 1993, which was later sold to Marvell Technology Group for approximately $2.7 billion, demonstrating a consistent track record of building successful semiconductor companies.
Nvidia expansion plans reinforce tech sector ties
Waldman currently manages his business interests through Waldo Holdings, a private investment company, and maintains significant exposure to Nvidia through shares he received as part of the Mellanox sale. He said his investment portfolio is highly diversified, including real estate in Israel and internationally, debt funds, and private equity holdings.
"My investments are very diversified. I have real estate in Israel and around the world, investments in debt funds, private equity, and of course I also have enormous exposure to Nvidia," Waldman said. "As part of the deal to sell Mellanox to Nvidia, I received part of the consideration in shares. I am very pleased with the investment."
Waldman acknowledged that while he initially preferred not to sell Mellanox, he now views the transaction as beneficial for all stakeholders. Nvidia, which currently employs approximately 5,000 people in Israel after adding about 1,000 employees annually over the past two years, announced plans in December 2025 to build a new research and development campus in Kiryat Tivon designed to accommodate more than 10,000 workers, with construction expected to begin in 2027.
"Nvidia, under the management of Jensen Huang, will expand its operations in Israel beyond the development center and will build a center in Tivon with 10,000 employees," Waldman said, adding that he remains more optimistic than many analysts about the company's growth trajectory driven by artificial intelligence. "Unlike the analysts, I expected an improvement in Nvidia's profitability and business. The reports show how the world of AI is contributing to the company's profitability. This is only the beginning, and AI has not even begun to realize its potential."
