Bennett and Lapid form joint list to challenge Netanyahu
Updated
Updated · The Nation · May 5
Bennett and Lapid form joint list to challenge Netanyahu
10 articles · Updated · The Nation · May 5
The new Beyachad alliance was announced ahead of October elections, with an initial poll putting it on 28 Knesset seats against Likud's 26.
The pair urged former army chief Gadi Eisenkot to join, but Bennett said he wants a Zionist-only coalition, complicating any path to a parliamentary majority.
Alongside the electoral push, more than 5,000 Jewish and Arab peace activists met in Tel Aviv as Palestinian-Israeli parties and civil society groups discussed broader anti-Netanyahu coordination.
With Israeli opposition unity hinging on excluding Arab parties, can a stable government or real peace be achieved without broader inclusion?
As international funds pour into Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding, what safeguards exist to prevent political manipulation and ensure genuine civil society impact?
Could Peter Magyar's sweeping victory in Hungary become a double-edged sword, risking new autocratic tendencies despite promises of reform?
Bennett-Lapid "Together" Alliance Aims to Break Netanyahu’s Hold with Projected 26 Knesset Seats
Overview
In April 2026, former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid formed the 'Together' party, merging their factions to consolidate opposition votes and position Bennett as the main challenger to Netanyahu. This alliance immediately boosted their polling numbers and strengthened the opposition bloc, though it still falls short of a majority without Arab party support, which the alliance explicitly rejects. Ideological tensions between Bennett's right-wing and Lapid's centrist views create risks of internal fractures, especially after failing to include security figure Gadi Eisenkot, who remains independent and competes for similar voters. Netanyahu counters by portraying the alliance as unstable, emphasizing its internal divisions and reliance on a fragile coalition.