Ex-Israeli Prime Ministers Unite Parties to Take On Netanyahu

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, two former prime ministers of Israel, announced the merging of their parties, creating a new political entity that could outpoll that of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud in the upcoming election.

The party, named Together, will be led by Bennett, a hawk and one-time settler advocate who has edged closer to the center, especially on domestic issues. Although he left politics after losing to Netanyahu in 2022, he is the strongest challenger to the prime minister, according to weekly voter surveys.