By Pesach Benson • April 26, 2026
Jerusalem, 26 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Former Prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid will unveil a political merger in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening, bringing their respective parties together under Bennett’s leadership, according to Bennett’s office.
“Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and former prime minister Yair Lapid will announce the first step in the process of healing the State of Israel: the merger of the Yesh Atid party and the Bennett 2026 party into a unified party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett,” said a statement released by Bennett’s office.
Bennett and Lapid previously served under a 2021–2022 rotational premiership agreement, in which Bennett initially held the post of prime minister before Lapid was scheduled to take over. The arrangement ultimately ended when the coalition collapsed in mid-2022, leading to early elections.
By law, Israel must hold national elections by October 27, 2026.
