Jerusalem.- Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett presented this Sunday Together, the party resulting from the merger of their center and center-right formations, respectively, and which aims to oust Benjamin Netanyahu from the government in the general elections this fall.
Bennett, the favorite candidate in the polls and who already ran alongside Lapid in a coalition in the 2021 elections, ousting Netanyahu from power at that time, will be at the forefront of the new formation.
The disputes within that alliance then ended in the calling of new elections in 2022, which brought Netanyahu back to power, who managed to form a government with far-right and orthodox Jewish parties.
Los ex primeros ministros israelíes Naftali Bennett (izquierda) y Yair Lapid (derecha) ofrecen una rueda de prensa conjunta. EFE/EPA/ABIR SULTAN
New match
Bennett and Lapid presented this Sunday at a joint press conference the new party, resulting from the merger of their formations, Yesh Atid (There is a Future) and Bennett 2026.
“We are living in a crucial moment. Crucial moments demand bold actions. And that is what we are doing tonight,” said Bennett, who added that allying is “the most Zionist and most patriotic act” they have ever done for Israel.
«The era of division is over; the era of reconciliation has arrived,» continued Bennett, who promised that if he comes to power, he will establish a state investigation commission on the security failures that enabled the October 7, 2023 attack, will limit the prime minister’s term to eight years and will protect «the lands of our country» without yielding «an iota to the enemy».
According to the latest electoral poll by Israeli Channel 12, their parties would together obtain a total of 28 seats -21 for Bennett and 7 for Lapid-, surpassing Netanyahu’s party (Likud), but without reaching the 61 seats of the majority, so they would have to negotiate with other parties
In the press conference, Bennett extended his hand to Gadi Eisenkot, second behind Bennett in the polls, former Chief of Staff and leader of the centrist party Yashar! (Straight!), which this Sunday celebrated the creation of Together and called its leaders “partners”.
“Gadi, our door is also open for you. We will soon return to a government of all, not of me. We will guide the people along the path in which the great majority of Israeli citizens believe,” he told him.
Asked if he would ally with Arab parties, he denied his intention to do so, stating that he will only rely on Zionist parties, and about whether he sees himself allying with Netanyahu, he assured that, “after 30 years, it’s time to say goodbye to him.”
For his part, Lapid stated that Israel “needs unity like air to breathe” and encouraged the Israeli center to vote for the new party. “Bennett is clearly right-wing, but he is a liberal, decent, and law-abiding right-winger,” he said.
«Today we unite to win the elections and establish a strong and stable Zionist government, a connection between the center and the right, between the religious and the secular, between the north and the south, without evasions or extremism», he added.
