JERUSALEM (AP) — A pair of former Israeli leaders announced Sunday their intention to combine their political organizations for the upcoming election cycle, aiming to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from his current position as Prime Minister.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, who previously shared leadership duties through a rotating arrangement in a coalition they established in 2021, have decided to consolidate their parties under a unified faction with Bennett at the helm.
“The move is intended to unite the bloc, put an end to internal divisions and focus all efforts on winning the critical upcoming elections,” Lapid’s Yesh Atid party said in a statement.
The former prime ministers planned to hold a joint press conference later Sunday.
Their 2021 coalition arrangement brought Netanyahu’s 12-year tenure to a halt. Bennett occupied the prime minister’s office during the initial year before their alliance collapsed. Lapid subsequently assumed the role as interim prime minister for six months until fresh elections returned Netanyahu to office.
Since Netanyahu’s return, Lapid has functioned as Israel’s opposition leader, while Bennett stepped away from the political arena.
Despite having contrasting political philosophies — Bennett maintains Orthodox Jewish beliefs and takes a hardline stance on Palestinian issues, while Lapid follows a secular path and holds more centrist positions — the two leaders maintained an effective partnership during their brief coalition period.
This new partnership seeks to bring together a scattered opposition movement that shares little common ground except for their mutual opposition to Netanyahu’s leadership.
