Key Development: Opposition Merger Announced

Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced on April 26, 2026, that they will merge their parties—Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future)—into a single electoral list named "Together" (BeYachad in Hebrew) ahead of elections scheduled for no later than October 2026. Bennett, representing the right-wing Zionist religious public, will lead the new party.

"Tonight, we are uniting and establishing the 'Together' party under my leadership, a party that will lead to a great victory, and the opening of a new era for our beloved country," Bennett said at a joint press conference in Herzliya (Source: Al Jazeera, The Guardian). Lapid, whose centrist party has seen declining support, stated: "Bennett is a right-wing politician, but an honest one, and there is trust between us." He described the move as "the most Zionist and patriotic step we have ever taken for our country" (Source: Al Jazeera, Dawn, Jerusalem Post).

Historical Context: A Renewed Partnership

This marks the second time Bennett and Lapid have joined forces to challenge Netanyahu. Their 2021 alliance resulted in a coalition government that ended Netanyahu's consecutive 12-year tenure as prime minister—a period that made Netanyahu Israel's longest-serving leader with more than 18 cumulative years in office. That government was notable for including Ra'am (United Arab List), the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition, and for a rotation agreement that saw Bennett serve as prime minister for 12 months before handing power to Lapid (Source: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post).

That coalition collapsed in mid-2022 after approximately one year, with Bennett citing its untenable position. Lapid served briefly as caretaker prime minister before Netanyahu returned to power in November 2022, forming what multiple sources describe as Israel's most right-wing government in history (Source: Al Jazeera, The Guardian).

Policy Positions and Campaign Promises

Bennett has outlined an ambitious agenda if elected, including establishing a state commission of inquiry into government failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack—an investigation the current government has rejected. He has also promised to limit the prime minister's term to eight years, close seven government ministries on his first day, implement conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews, and permit same-sex and civil marriage (Source: Jerusalem Post).

Bennett revealed what he calls his "Israeli Renaissance" plan to bring one million new immigrants (olim) to Israel over the next decade, targeting the United States, Britain, and Australia. He stated he would integrate the ultra-Orthodox into employment and military or national service as a "flagship plan" (Source: Jerusalem Post).

Unlike their previous arrangement, the 2026 alliance includes no rotation agreement. "Lapid accepts my leadership, I will serve as prime minister, as a man of the Right, a man of the Land of Israel, a liberal," Bennett told the Jerusalem Post.

Foreign Policy: Continuity with Criticism of Netanyahu

On security matters, Bennett and Lapid have staunchly backed Netanyahu's decision to jointly attack Iran with the United States, but have criticized the execution of the war. Lapid labeled the two-week ceasefire agreed with Iran a "political disaster," while Bennett accused Netanyahu of failing to achieve objectives including toppling Iran's government. Both questioned an April 17 ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Bennett saying "one can already count backwards towards the next round" and Lapid stating the only solution was "the permanent removal of the threat to northern Israel" (Source: Reuters via Al Jazeera, Jerusalem Post).

Bennett has been sharply critical of Netanyahu's Gaza policies, accusing him of helping Hamas regain control through aid trucks and achieving "the worst possible outcome" with Hamas still fielding tens of thousands of armed fighters (Source: Al Jazeera).

Notably, Bennett has ruled out forming coalitions with Arab parties in any future government he leads—a departure from their 2021 arrangement and a position that creates potential coalition-building challenges. He has also excluded parties whose voters do not serve in the IDF, closing the door on ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judiasm (Source: Jerusalem Post).

Electoral Calculations and Polling

The merger comes as Lapid's Yesh Atid has fallen dramatically in polls—from 24 seats in 2022 to approximately 7 seats. Bennett's party has polled around 20-21 seats, while Netanyahu's Likud has shown 25 seats in recent surveys (Source: Jerusalem Post, N12 News, Maariv).

The electoral impact of the merger remains uncertain. An N12 News poll from April 23, 2026, showed Bennett's party with 21 seats and Likud with 25. A Walla poll suggested the united list would receive 27 seats—down from 31 projected if they ran separately—while a Maariv poll found Likud and Bennett 2026 effectively tied at 25 and 24 seats respectively, with Yesh Atid at 7 seats (Source: Jerusalem Post, Walla, Maariv).

Political analyst Tal Schneider of the Times of Israel noted that Lapid's falling support and the opposition's desire not to lose seats factored into the union. Schneider characterized criticism of cooperation with Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas as "racist" and noted there is no known connection between Ra'am and terrorist groups (Source: Deutsche Welle).

Reactions: Opposition Divided, Netanyahu Counter-Attacks

The announcement drew mixed reactions from Israel's fractured opposition. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party who turned down a merger offer from Bennett in March 2026, responded positively: "I see Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid as partners and will continue to do, with responsibility and wisdom, what is right to achieve the victory and the change needed for the State of Israel" (Source: Jerusalem Post).

However, Benny Gantz, whose Blue and White party has failed to clear the electoral threshold in recent polls, sharply criticized the alliance. "Unfortunately, the alliance between Bennett and Lapid this week harms the ability to replace this bad government," Gantz stated, accusing them of focusing on "internal bloc battles" rather than building broad appeal to right-wing and religious voters. Gantz was notably excluded from an opposition leaders' meeting with Bennett, Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan (Source: Jerusalem Post).

Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beytenu stated: "We must replace the government of October 7" (Source: Jerusalem Post).

Netanyahu and his allies launched immediate counter-attacks. The prime minister posted a video showing Bennett and Lapid signing their 2021 coalition agreement with Abbas, with the caption: "They did it once, they will do it again." Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the alliance "The Abbas Servants' Alliance," while multiple coalition members posted inflammatory AI-generated images attacking the merger. Culture Minister Miki Zohar wrote: "Neither Right nor Left. Bennett is like a rightist, and Lapid is like a leftist, and together they are trying to pass the electoral threshold" (Source: Jerusalem Post, Al Jazeera).

Structural Questions: Can the Blocs Shift?

The fundamental challenge facing the Bennett-Lapid alliance is Israel's bloc-based political system. While they aim to become the largest party—a traditional stepping stone to forming government—Israeli coalitions require assembling 61 of 120 Knesset seats. The anti-Netanyahu bloc has held at approximately 61 seats with or without the merger, suggesting the alliance may not alter the underlying parliamentary arithmetic (Source: Jerusalem Post).

An alternative "Likud B" initiative is reportedly being discussed among right-wing figures including Yuli Edelstein, Moshe Kahlon, Sharren Haskel, and Gilad Erdan—potentially creating a third option for right-wing voters unwilling to support either Netanyahu or Bennett (Source: Jerusalem Post, N12 News).

Historical precedents for Israeli mergers are mixed. The 2015 Zionist Union between Labor and Hatnua won 24 seats, about seven more than pre-merger polls projected separately. Conversely, the 2013 Likud-Yisrael Beytenu alliance won only 31 seats, well below expectations of more than 40 (Source: Jerusalem Post).