Former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced Sunday they are reviving their political alliance, saying they will form a new party called 'Together' to challenge current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The announcement took place in Herzliya, where both men addressed reporters from identical podiums.
The two leaders previously governed together in 2021, forming an eight-party coalition that ended Netanyahu's consecutive 12-year tenure as prime minister before the alliance collapsed after 13 months. Bennett, a far-right politician, and Lapid, who leads the centripet Yesh Atid party, have now reunited to mount another challenge against Netanyahu.
What the Left Is Saying
Supporters of the Bennett-Lapid alliance say the coalition represents the best opportunity to return to governance focused on pragmatic solutions rather than ongoing political instability. '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 the announcement.
Center-left and moderate voters have expressed cautious optimism about the renewed partnership, noting that their 2021 government demonstrated it was possible to remove Netanyahu from power despite his long political dominance. Analysts suggest the alliance could appeal to voters weary of repeated elections and ongoing divisions over judicial reform proposals that have sparked mass protests.
What the Right Is Saying
Netanyahu's Likud party and allied right-wing factions have dismissed the announcement as an attempt to recreate a fragile governing coalition that previously collapsed under its own contradictions. Critics argue that Bennett's far-right base and Lapid's centrist positions represent fundamentally incompatible political philosophies that voters rejected in subsequent elections.
Conservative commentators note that Netanyahu remains the most formidable electoral force in Israeli politics, with his legal challenges still playing out in courts while he maintains strong support among religious and nationalist constituencies. Some right-wing voices have characterized Bennett as a traitor to core conservative principles for partnering with Lapid.
What the Numbers Show
The 2021 Bennett-Lapid coalition lasted approximately 13 months before collapsing over disagreements on judicial reform, triggering five rounds of national elections between 2020 and 2022. Netanyahu's Likud party has consistently won the largest share of Knesset seats in recent voting cycles, though no single faction or alliance has achieved a governing majority.
Polls conducted prior to Sunday's announcement showed fragmented support across multiple Israeli political parties, with neither Netanyahu's bloc nor opposition coalitions commanding clear majorities in the 120-seat parliament. The 'Together' party will need to consolidate opposition voters while attracting undecided moderates to present a viable alternative government.
The Bottom Line
The Bennett-Lapid announcement represents the most significant attempt yet to unify Israel's fragmented opposition against Netanyahu ahead of future elections. Whether the alliance can overcome the ideological tensions that destroyed their previous coalition remains uncertain, but both men are betting that voters prioritize removing Netanyahu over maintaining strict party positions on domestic issues.
Netanyahu has survived numerous political challenges and legal proceedings throughout his career. The coming months will test whether this renewed opposition alliance can sustain momentum or faces the same internal divisions that ended its predecessor government after just over a year in power.