Bennett calls for national unity gov't, drawing on 1984 power-sharing model

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett has called for the creation of a national unity government modeled on Israel’s 1984 rotational coalition, which saw power shared between Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir. 

Speaking at an election rally in Efrat before an audience from the religious Zionist community, Bennett urged political leaders to rise above entrenched divisions in order to resolve Israel’s prolonged political stalemate.

Drawing a comparison to the cohesion within the Israeli army, Bennett argued that unity in times of war should be mirrored in political life. “We fight together in a tank in Rafah, but when we return home, we say we cannot govern with someone who thinks differently,” he said, criticizing the rigid bloc politics that he believes has paralyzed governance.

At the same time, Bennett stressed that his ideological stance remains firmly on the right, adding that his views have only hardened since the events of October 7. A long-standing opponent of the Oslo Accords and the disengagement from Gaza, he said recent developments have made those positions “even more obvious.” Despite the deadlock, he struck an optimistic note, saying he was confident the country could move forward.

Bennett’s remarks prompted swift reactions across the opposition. Avigdor Liberman wrote on X that he would “never join Benjamin Netanyahu under any circumstances.” 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid, echoed the message, posting simply: “Agreed.”

Former general Noam Tibon, who recently joined Yesh Atid, also weighed in, denouncing the current coalition as a “government of failure and massacre” and calling on voters to back a decisive political shift.

Meanwhile, Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White, emphasized the need for bold leadership capable of uniting Israeli society. Speaking at a conference at Tel Hai University, Gantz warned that without national unity, Israel risked reliving the trauma of October 7.