Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett merge parties
Gadi Eisenkot welcomed the merger but did not say whether he would join Bennett and Lapid.
“Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid will announce the first step in the process of reforming the State of Israel: the merger of the Yesh Atid party and the Bennett 2026 party into a unified party headed by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett,” Bennett said.
“This step unifies the Reform faction, ends internal battles, and allows it to invest all its efforts in a decisive victory in the upcoming elections and lead Israel toward necessary reforms,” the statement said.
Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Yashar Party, spoke to Bennett about half an hour earlier and congratulated him on the move but avoided answering the question of whether he would agree to unification within his party. Eisenkot said, “The goal of winning the important election before us is a shared goal.
I see Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid as partners, and I will continue to do the right thing responsibly and intelligently to achieve the victory and change needed for the State of Israel. Fixing Israel is my life’s mission, and I am determined to accomplish it.”
