Ex-Israeli PMs join forces to challenge Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
Two former Israeli prime ministers, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, have announced the merger of their parties, creating a new political structure that could surpass Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in future elections, according to Bloomberg.
The new party, called Together, will be led by Bennett — a former settler advocate who has shifted slightly toward the center, especially on domestic issues. Although he left politics after his defeat to Netanyahu in 2022, he remains the prime minister's strongest rival, according to weekly voter polls.
Lapid, a centrist whose base is in Tel Aviv, currently leads the opposition through his Yesh Atid party. Together, they previously led a major coalition government that ousted Netanyahu from power, but it lasted just over a year before losing to him in 2022.
Bloomberg writes that Netanyahu subsequently formed the most right‑wing and most religious government in the country's history. He pursued populist policies that opponents call divisive and anti‑democratic.
In a statement, Bennett and Lapid announced "the first step in the process of healing the State of Israel: the merger of the Yesh Atid party and the Bennett 2026 party into a unified party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett."
"This move unites the ‘reform bloc,’ puts an end to internal infighting, and allows for all efforts to be invested toward a decisive victory in the upcoming elections and to lead Israel toward the necessary reform," the statement said.
In their previous agreement, they alternated the position of prime minister. The new agreement does not contain such a provision.
Polls over the past weekend showed that Bennett and Netanyahu have almost identical numbers. If Bennett adds Lapid's projected seats, they could form the largest party, giving them the right to form the next government.
Weekend polls showed that the opposition bloc, excluding Israeli Arabs, has 60 or 61 seats out of 120 — enough to form a coalition.
Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to launch a decisive attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon after the recent ceasefire collapsed.
Regarding Iran, Tel Aviv does not seek a ceasefire with it, unlike the US, and is waiting for further confrontation with Tehran and the overthrow of its regime.
