Naftali Bennett

Are new Knesset proposals pushing Israel toward Hungary-style governance? - opinion

Concerns mount that Israel’s new legislation could reshape democracy in a Hungary-like direction.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks alongside former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in Budapest last year. Orban transformed Hungary into a quasi-autocracy, while Netanyahu has not achieved the same in Israel, the writer says.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a Jerusalem Day event, May 14, 2026; illustrative.

Over half of Israelis want PM Netanyahu to retire from politics, not run in Knesset election - poll

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a discussion at the plenum in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, July 23, 2025.

Coalition submits bill to dissolve Knesset, vote expected next week

OPPOSITION LEADER Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attend an election event for the joint list “Together” ahead of the upcoming elections, in Tel Aviv, central Israel, May 12, 2026.

Bennett calls to dissolve Knesset, form constitution at kick-off party event with Lapid


Can Naftali Bennett win Israel without belonging to anyone? - analysis

Bennett has never built a home. Bayit Yehudi was a vehicle. Yamina was a vehicle. Bennett 2026 was a vehicle. Together, his new merger with Lapid, is a vehicle.

NAFTALI BENNET at the Western Wall, May 13, 2026.

Bennett will overtake Netanyahu if Eisenkot joins merger, poll shows

According to the poll, Likud, led by Netanyahu, would receive 26 seats, while Bennett’s Together Party, which has merged with Lapid, would win 25.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former prime minister Naftali Bennett. (Illustrative)

Lapid says more party mergers to come soon ahead of elections, as Liberman calls for constitution

Lapid made the remarks at the Guidelines for Jewish-Democratic Policy conference, held at the Judaism and State Policy Center of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks at the Guidelines for Jewish-Democratic Policy conference in the Judaism and State Policy Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Monday, May 11, 2026.

What is Zionism, and who is a Zionist? - opinion

Coining Left-leaning Israelis as racists or enemies of the Zionist state when they express concern over Israel’s democratic future sets a dangerous tone

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delivers a speech earlier this year.

A time for healing: Can Israel mend its deep internal rift? - opinion

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap; a time to kill, a time to heal. – Ecclesiastes

NAFTALI BENNETT visits Sgt. Yona Brief, wounded in Kfar Aza on Oct. 7. After 417 days of hospitalization, Brief succumbed to his injuries.

Middle Israel: What's the plan? Israel needs a 'reconciliation government' - opinion

MIDDLE ISRAEL: Led by four prime ministerial contenders, the task ahead of today’s opposition is much more daunting than what Rabin faced last century.

TO BEAT the incumbent prime minister, opposition leaders and former prime ministers Naftali Bennett (left) and Yair Lapid must come up with a plan and agree on a set of actions they will take collectively should they unseat Netanyahu.

Bennett, Eisenkot, Liberman merger could secure 61-seat coalition without Arab parties - poll

Under the three-party alliance scenario, the opposition bloc would reach 61 seats, compared with 49 for Netanyahu’s coalition and 10 for the Arab parties.

Naftali Bennett (L), Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman.

Bennett files defamation lawsuit against MKs, Channel 14, for mental illness claims

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said that claims that he took pills to function were "blatant lies" meant to damage his chances of being elected again.

Opposition Leader and Head of the Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speak during a press conference announcing a joint list named “Together” ahead of upcoming elections, to be led by Bennett, in Herzliya, central Israel, April 26, 2026.

Golan: Eisenkot should join Democrats or Bennett-Lapid, opposition should partner with Ra'am

“I look at the political map. The alliance already underway between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid will be judged by one question only: Does it enlarge the bloc for change?” Golan said.

HEAD OF the Democrats party, Yair Golan, speaks at the anual Berl Katznelson Center (BKC) conference, on May 07, 2026.

Bennett-Lapid merger kicks off, Gantz left in the dust: Is this the end of the Netanyahu era?

Israel’s political landscape is shifting fast as Bennett, Lapid and Eisenkot reshape the battle over Netanyahu’s future.

Can Netanyahu’s 15-year political era survive Israel’s shifting alliances?