Former Israeli Prime minister Naftali Bennett and Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid gesture as they announce their political union ahead of this year's general election, the new party will be called Together, in Herzliya, Israel April 26, 2026. (Credit: Gideon Markowicz/ Reuters)

Bennett-Lapid merger does not yet appear likely to alter the electoral balance

In Israel, the announcement of a new party bringing together two former prime ministers in a bid to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu is raising hopes. An update with Beth Oppenheim, a policy fellow at the ECFR.

28 Apr 2026, 06:50 by Laure-Maïssa FARJALLAH · L'Orient Today

Against the odds, they led the country together between 2021 and 2022 before being forced to dissolve the Knesset, paving the way for Benjamin Netanyahu’s return. Naftali Bennett, a staunch right-winger, and Yair Lapid, a centrist, announced on Sunday, April 26, the creation of a joint party, “Together,” ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections scheduled for October, to be led by Bennett. The move comes as Bennett’s party, since the war with Iran, has topped some polls ahead of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud, according to certain surveys.According to observers, the main objective would be to attract Gadi Eisenkot, former chief of staff of the army, in an effort to sideline the head of government, since their prior governing alliance had relied on an Arab party — an option now ruled out. Claiming a liberal Zionist right, Naftali...

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