Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced on Sunday that they will run on a joint list in the upcoming elections, aiming to unseat incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. The announcement was made during a joint televised statement from Herzliya.
Formation of Beyahad Party
Bennett declared, "I am pleased to announce that tonight, together with my friend Yair Lapid, I am taking the most Zionist and patriotic step we have ever taken for our country. Tonight, we are uniting and founding the Beyahad (Together) party under my leadership, a party that will lead to a great victory and open a new era for our beautiful country." Lapid added, "Bennett is a right-wing politician, but an honest one, and there is trust between us."
Political Background
Lapid, a former premier himself, had earlier indicated his intention to join forces with Bennett. He wrote on X, "The move brings about the unification of the Repair Bloc, enabling all efforts to be focused on leading Israel toward the necessary repair." Bennett stated that if elected, he would establish a national commission of inquiry into the failures leading up to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, a step the current Netanyahu government has rejected. Both Bennett and Lapid have been vocal critics of Netanyahu's handling of the country's wars since the attack, with Lapid calling the recent two-week ceasefire with Iran a "political disaster."
From Aide to Rival
Bennett, a right-winger and longtime supporter of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, previously formed a coalition government with Lapid in June 2021. That government was replaced at the end of 2022 by Netanyahu's current administration, after Bennett deemed the coalition untenable. Lapid then served a brief stint as caretaker prime minister. Opinion polls suggest Bennett is the candidate best positioned to defeat Netanyahu in the October vote. On Sunday, Bennett also called on former minister Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the centrist Yashar party, to join the joint list.
Profiles of the Candidates
Bennett, 54, is the son of American immigrants and a former high-tech entrepreneur who sold his start-up in 2005 for $145 million. As a former Israeli commando officer, his profile resonates with part of the country's younger generation after more than two years of the Gaza war. Once a Netanyahu adviser, Bennett has become a staunch opponent of his former mentor's policies. He led several right-wing parties before forming a broad unity government in 2021. Lapid, 62, is the son of journalist and minister Tommy Lapid, a Holocaust survivor, and acclaimed author Shulamit Lapid. A prominent television journalist, Lapid entered politics in 2012 by founding Yesh Atid, which became the country's second-largest political force. He has served as opposition leader, aside from his brief tenure as prime minister.
Netanyahu's Position
Netanyahu plans to lead his party's list in the general election, which must be held no later than the end of October. At 76, the leader of the right-wing Likud party is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, with over 18 cumulative years in office across multiple stints.
