NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE IN ISRAEL AHEAD OF ELECTIONS – The leaders unveiled a focus on national unity and significant policy reforms (SEO)
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a new political alliance in Herzliya on Sunday (April 26), aiming to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Describing the partnership as a “patriotic step” for a “fateful period,” the leaders unveiled a platform focused on national unity and significant policy reforms.
Bennett outlined key pledges for a potential administration, including the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks, the implementation of universal military service, and a proposal to limit prime ministerial tenure to eight years. He also maintained a hardline security stance, vowing to “safeguard the lands” of the country.
Lapid, the current opposition leader, urged the Israeli centre to rally behind Bennett, characterizing him as a law-abiding alternative to the current leadership. The alliance aims to attract 80% of the electorate, with Lapid stating that their coalition would explicitly exclude political extremists and those who evade military conscription.
Bennett stated that any future government would rely solely on Zionist parties, explicitly excluding Arab factions from the coalition. The pair concluded the announcement with a commitment to transition the country away from the Netanyahu era, which Bennett described as a chapter that has lasted three decades.
