Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, both former prime ministers of Israel, have announced a merger of their political parties, forming a new entity that aims to rival Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud in upcoming elections.
The newly established party, named “Together,” will be led by Bennett, a former advocate for settlers who has shifted slightly towards the center, particularly on domestic issues. Although he stepped back from politics after losing to Netanyahu in 2022, recent polls indicate that he remains a formidable opponent to the current prime minister.
Lapid, a centrist whose support base is primarily in Tel Aviv, currently leads the opposition through his party, Yesh Atid. The two previously collaborated in a coalition government that ousted Netanyahu but lasted just over a year before succumbing to his leadership in 2022.
According to Bloomberg, Netanyahu subsequently formed the most right-wing and religious government in Israel’s history, implementing populist policies criticized by opponents as divisive and anti-democratic.
In their joint statement, Bennett and Lapid referred to this merger as “the first step in the healing process for the State of Israel: the unification of Yesh Atid and Bennett 2026 into a single party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.”
They emphasized that this initiative consolidates the “reform bloc,” ends internal conflicts, and focuses efforts on achieving a decisive victory in the forthcoming elections to implement necessary reforms in Israel.
Unlike their previous agreement, which allowed them to alternate the premiership, this new arrangement does not include such provisions.
Recent polling data from the weekend revealed that Bennett and Netanyahu are nearly tied in support. If Bennett incorporates the expected seats from Lapid, they could potentially form the largest party, granting them the opportunity to establish the next government.
The weekend surveys indicated that the opposition bloc, excluding Israeli Arabs, holds between 60 and 61 seats out of a total of 120, sufficient to form a coalition.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have merged their political parties in a strategic move to challenge Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in the upcoming elections. Their new party, 'Together,' aims to consolidate support and focus on achieving necessary reforms in Israel.