Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who previously led the government of Israel, have announced the merger of their political forces. They are forming a new party aimed at combating the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A new political structure called "Together" will be led by Naftali Bennett. He is known as a supporter and former defender of settlers, whose views have shifted somewhat to the center, especially on domestic issues.
Although Bennett left politics after losing to Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2022, he remains one of the strongest opponents of the current head of government, as confirmed by weekly voter polls.
Yair Lapid, a centrist whose main electoral base is concentrated in Tel Aviv, currently leads the opposition through his party Yesh Atid. He and Bennett previously headed a large government that managed to oust Netanyahu from power.
However, that government lasted just over a year before being defeated by Netanyahu in 2022. After that, Prime Minister Netanyahu formed the most right-wing and religious government in the country's history, pursuing populist policies that opponents call divisive and anti-democratic.
Statement on the Merger
In a joint statement, Bennett and Lapid announced that they are declaring "the first step in the process of healing the State of Israel: the unification of the parties Yesh Atid and Bennett 2026 into a single party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett."
The statement further emphasizes: "This step unites the 'reform bloc,' puts an end to internal strife, and allows us to direct all efforts towards achieving a decisive victory in the upcoming elections and bringing Israel the necessary reforms."
It is important to note that the previous agreement between them included a provision for alternating the position of prime minister. However, the new agreement does not contain such a provision, indicating a change in strategy and approach to governance.
Election Prospects
Polls conducted over the past weekend showed that Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Netanyahu have nearly equal support ratings, indicating high competition in the political arena.
If Bennett's projected seats are combined with the seats Lapid may obtain, their combined strength could form the largest party. This would give them the right to form the next government of Israel.
According to the same weekend polls, the opposition bloc, excluding Israeli Arabs, could secure 60 or 61 seats out of 120. This number of seats is sufficient to form a coalition and come to power.
