Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett decided to run in the legislative elections scheduled for later this year with a united front, with the aim of ousting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The right-wing Bennett and the centrist Lapid had formed a coalition government in June 2021, which fell at the end of 2022 and was replaced by the current coalition led by Netanyahu, which is considered the most right-wing in Israel's history.

Published on: 04/27/2026 - 10:49 Last updated: 04/27/2026 - 11:23

Seeking to defeat current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid announced on Sunday that he and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will stand, with a united front, in the legislative elections scheduled for later this year.

Bennett said in a joint statement with Lapid, “I am pleased to announce tonight that I, along with my friend Yair Lapid, have taken the most Zionist and patriotic step ever for our country.”

He continued, "Tonight we unite and establish the 'Together' party under my leadership. A party that will lead to a great victory and open a new era for our beautiful country."

Lapid said in the televised statement, “Bennett is a right-wing politician, but he is honest, and there is trust between us.”

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Lapid, who also previously served as Prime Minister, said earlier on Sunday that he would run with Bennett in the legislative elections scheduled for October on a joint list.

Lapid wrote on the X platform, “This step will lead to the unification of the reform camp, allowing all efforts to be focused on leading Israel towards the required reform.”

Bennett said that, if elected, he would form a national investigation committee into the failures that preceded the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which the current Netanyahu government rejects.

Both Lapid and Bennett are critics of the way Netanyahu has managed the wars that the Jewish state has been waging since October 2023. The former described the ceasefire in the recent war with Iran as a “political disaster” for Israel.

The right-wing Bennett and the centrist Lapid formed a coalition government in June 2021, which fell at the end of 2022 and was replaced by the current coalition led by Netanyahu, which is considered the most right-wing in the history of Israel.

Opinion polls show that Bennett is the most likely candidate to defeat Netanyahu in the October elections.

On Sunday, Bennett called on former Minister Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar Party, to join the united front.

Bennett (54 years old), who worked as an advisor to the current prime minister, before becoming one of his staunchest opponents, led right-wing parties, but returned and formed a broad unity government in 2021.

As for his new partner in the electoral race, Lapid (62 years old), he was a prominent television journalist before he entered political life in 2012 by establishing the Yesh Atid party, which later became the second largest political force in the country.

Since then, he has assumed leadership of the opposition, except for the short period during which he assumed the presidency of the government.

For his part, Netanyahu intends to lead the list of his right-wing Likud party in the elections, which must be held no later than the end of October.

Netanyahu (76 years old) served as prime minister for the longest period in Israel's history, as he spent more than 18 years in office across multiple terms.

France 24/AFP

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