‘Bennett 2026’ – Ex-PM signals challenge to Netanyahu with new party

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett registers new party, hinting at return to politics next year amid polling showing his party winning the most seats.

By World Israel News Staff

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett formally registered a new political party on Tuesday, suggesting the former politician is planning a return to politics and a bid for the premiership in next year’s Knesset election.

The party was registered under the temporary name “Bennett 2026,” alluding to the likely year of the next Knesset election.

By law, a new general election must be held no later than October 27, 2026 – four years after the elections for the 25 Knesset.

Bennett, Israel’s second shortest serving premier, who held the office for just one year and 17 days between 2021 and 2022, withdrew from politics in 2022 after leaving office, while indicating his departure would likely be temporary.

Recent polls show that a party headed by Bennett would win the most seats in a new election, with a March 21 poll published by Ma’ariv projecting a Bennett-led party would receive 25 seats, compared to 19 for the Likud, 10 for the far-left The Democrats, and single digits for the remaining parties.

According to Arutz Sheva, an outlet with close ties to the former premier, a representative of Bennett said that despite the party registration, no decision has yet been made on a Knesset run.

“If and when it is decided to actually run in the elections, an announcement will be made on the matter.”

Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid, who formed a government with Bennett in 2021, congratulated him on the registration of his new party.

“I congratulate Naftali Bennett on the establishment of his new party. Israel needs a good government.”

The Likud, however, responded to the news by issuing a statement deriding Bennett’s new faction as “left-wing.”

“We won’t get involved in how the left-wing divides up its mandates.”

Bennett, formerly a leader of the Jewish Home party, bolted from the party, along with long-time ally Ayelet Shaked, to form the New Right party.

After the party failed to cross the electoral threshold in the April 2019 election, Bennett and Shaked joined a joint list of right-wing parties, dubbed “Yamina,” returning to the Knesset in the September 2019 election.

After the 2021 election, Bennett, who had hitherto been associated with the Israeli Right, joined Lapid in forming a government with the Israeli Left, several center-right parties, and the United Arab List (Ra’am), which represents the Southern Islamic Movement in Israel.

The move drew the ire of Israeli nationalists, who noted the move violated Bennett’s pre-election vow not to join a government with Lapid.