Former prime ministers of Israel formed an alliance against Netanyahu.

Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have formed a political alliance to challenge the government of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They announced this decision on the eve of elections expected to be held at the end of this year, as reported by Al Jazeera.

 

It has been reported that the parties are merging their respective parties to form a new political bloc named "Together." Bennett will lead it. The main goal of the alliance is emphasized to be uniting the fragmented opposition against Netanyahu.

 

In a joint statement, Bennett and Lapid called this step "an important political decision in the interests of the country." Lapid described Bennett as "a right-wing politician, but an honest person," noting that mutual trust exists between them.

 

Furthermore, Bennett stated that if they win the election, a national commission of inquiry will be established to investigate the failures that occurred before the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The current government of Netanyahu has rejected such an initiative.

 

Both politicians have been criticizing Netanyahu's decisions regarding security and foreign policy. In particular, Lapid assessed the two-week ceasefire reached with Iran as a "political disaster."

 

Bennett and Lapid had previously formed an alliance in 2021, ending Netanyahu's 12-year rule. However, the coalition government they formed collapsed after 18 months in operation.

 

Recent polls show that the personal ratings of Netanyahu and Bennett are nearly equal. According to a poll by N12 News published on April 23, forces led by Bennett could secure 21 of the 120 seats in parliament, while Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to have 25 seats. Lapid's party could shrink from its current 24 seats to 7 seats.