A new alliance led by Bennett and Lapid seeks to consolidate Israel’s opposition vote, setting the stage for a tight electoral battle against Netanyahu’s Likud in upcoming polls.
Former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid during a joint appearance after announcing their political merger ahead of upcoming elections. (File photo: Reuters via ANI)
In a significant political reset ahead of Israel’s next elections, former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday unveiled a joint political front, bringing their parties together under a new banner – ‘Together, Led by Bennett’ – to challenge incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The agreement, finalised a day earlier, will see Lapid’s Yesh Atid and Bennett’s newly formed Bennett 2026 contest the elections as a single list. With polls due no later than October, the merger is being viewed as a decisive attempt to consolidate Israel’s fragmented opposition and mount a direct challenge to Netanyahu’s long-standing political dominance.
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Addressing a joint press conference in Herzliya, Bennett framed the alliance as a turning point in Israeli politics. “I am taking the most Zionist and most patriotic step we have ever taken, for our country,” he said, asserting that the move signals “the era of division is over.”
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Lapid, standing alongside him, called on centrist voters to close ranks behind the new formation. “To win the elections, the entire Israeli centre must rally behind Naftali Bennett,” he said, drawing comparisons with opposition alliances in other countries that have succeeded electorally.
The two leaders also made it clear that their bloc would only engage with Zionist opposition parties and would not enter into any coalition with Arab parties. The position is likely to shape coalition arithmetic if the alliance performs strongly.
Outlining his roadmap, Bennett said that if voted to power, his government would set up a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks, introduce a universal conscription law, and enforce an eight-year cap on the prime minister’s tenure.
He also indicated support for advancing civil and same-sex marriage, even as he stressed a hardline national security stance. “We will safeguard the lands of our country and will not hand over a single centimetre to the enemy,” Bennett said.
The alliance has also reached out to Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar! Party, in a bid to widen the opposition front. “Our door is open to you,” Bennett said, signalling that talks to bring in more partners are ongoing.
The announcement drew quick responses across the political spectrum. Opposition figures welcomed the move as a necessary step towards unity, while members of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition were critical, pointing to Bennett and Lapid’s previous government, which had included the Ra’am Party.
Recent opinion polls cited by Israeli media suggest that Bennett’s bloc is now running neck and neck with Netanyahu’s Likud party, even as support for Lapid’s Yesh Atid has dipped.
Bennett and Lapid had earlier shared power in a rare rotation arrangement following a prolonged political deadlock between 2019 and 2021. Their coalition, however, collapsed within a year, paving the way for Netanyahu’s return to office in 2022.
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