Bennett, Lapid announce political merger ahead of upcoming elections

The new “repair bloc” formation is set to be led by former PM Naftali Bennett ahead of 2026 elections

Joe Brown
Joe Brown ■ i24NEWS Senior Producer
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Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L), Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and lawmaker Boaz Toporovsky during a vote on a bill to dissolve the Knesset, at the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 22, 2022.
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (L), Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and lawmaker Boaz Toporovsky during a vote on a bill to dissolve the Knesset, at the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 22, 2022.Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid will merge their political frameworks into a single party ahead of the next elections, according to a statement released by Bennett’s office on Sunday.

The statement said the move marks “the first step in the process of repairing the State of Israel” and confirms the unification of the “Yesh Atid” party and the “Bennett 2026” party into one political list led by Bennett.

The statement further described the initiative as the creation of a “Repair Bloc,” saying it “puts an end to internal battles” and allows the parties to “devote all efforts toward a decisive victory in the upcoming elections and leading Israel toward the necessary repair.”

Former IDF Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Yashar Party Gadi Eisenkot spoke with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett shortly after the announcement and congratulated him on the move.

Eisenkot said, “The goal of winning the critical elections ahead of us is a shared goal. I see Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid as partners, and I will continue to do the right thing responsibly and wisely to achieve the victory and change needed for the State of Israel. Fixing Israel is my life's mission, and I am determined to fulfill it.”

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Yisrael Beiteinu Party Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman also welcomed the announcement, saying, “I congratulate the merge and wish it success.” He added, “It should be remembered that the goal is to replace the government of the 7th of October.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reacted on X, posting a photo of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid alongside Ra’am party chairman Mansour Abbas, writing, “I don’t interfere with how the left divvies up its votes. The servants’ alliance of Abbas.”

Separately, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also responded on X, saying, “The brothers’ alliance of Bennett-Lapid is once again selling the country to the Islamic Movement. Bennett was an extreme leftist and will remain an extreme leftist.”

Both Bennett and Lapid have previously led separate centrist and opposition political frameworks in Israel’s fragmented political landscape, and the move represents a formal consolidation of their political efforts ahead of the next national vote.

Israel’s next general elections are currently scheduled for October 2026, unless the Knesset is dissolved earlier and an early vote is called.

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