Jerusalem, Apr 26 (EFE).- Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett unveiled on Sunday «Together,» a new party formed by the merger of their respective center and center-right factions. The party aims to oust Benjamin Netanyahu from the government in the general election this autumn.
Bennett, the favored candidate in opinion polls, will lead the new formation. He previously ran alongside Lapid in a coalition during the 2021 elections, successfully managing to remove Netanyahu from power at the time.
However, infighting within that alliance led to new elections being called in 2022, which saw Netanyahu return to power after forming a government with far-right and Orthodox Jewish parties.
Bennett and Lapid presented the new party, resulting from the merger of their Yesh Atid (There is a Future) and Bennett 2026 parties, at a joint press conference on Sunday.
«We are living in a crucial moment. Crucial moments demand bold action. And that is what we are doing tonight,» said Bennett, adding that forming the alliance 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,» Bennett continued. He promised that if he comes to power, he will establish a state commission of inquiry into the security failures that enabled the October 7, 2023 attack, limit the Prime Minister’s term to eight years, and protect «the lands of our country,» vowing not to concede «an inch to the enemy.»
According to the latest electoral poll from Israel’s Channel 12, their parties would together win a total of 28 seats (21 for Bennett and 7 for Lapid) surpassing Netanyahu’s Likud party, but falling short of the 61 seats needed for a majority. This means they would need to form an agreement with other parties.
At the press conference, Bennett reached out to Gadi Eisenkot, who trails Bennett in the polls, is the former Chief of Staff, and leads the centrist party Yashar! (Straight!). Eisenkot celebrated the creation of «Together» on Sunday and referred to its leaders as «partners.»
«Gadi, our door is open to you too. Soon we will return to a government for everyone, not just for me. We will lead the people on the path that the vast majority of Israeli citizens believe in,» Bennett told him.
When asked if he would ally with Arab parties, Bennett denied any intention of doing so, stating he would only rely on Zionist parties. Regarding an alliance with Netanyahu, he asserted that, «after 30 years, it is time to say goodbye to him.»
For his part, Lapid affirmed 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 are uniting 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. EFE
mt/dmv
