Highlighting their differences, old-new partners Bennett and Lapid try to oust Netanyahu again

Key Points:

• Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid launched their “Together” election alliance, emphasizing shared goals such as establishing a state inquiry into the October 7 Hamas attack, mandatory military service for all, and addressing crime, cost of living, and education reform.
• Bennett identified as a right-wing liberal Zionist, while Lapid represented the centrist faction, with both stressing the need for national unity after years of division and aiming to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October elections.
• The alliance merges Bennett’s new party with Lapid’s Yesh Atid, positioning Bennett as the likely leader of the anti-Netanyahu bloc, while Lapid conceded no prime minister rotation and possible lower ranking on the slate to maximize electoral success.
• Bennett expressed confidence in winning without relying on Arab parties, criticizing Netanyahu’s bloc for lacking a Zionist majority, and hinted at upcoming surprises in the campaign, while Netanyahu’s camp is expected to counter with its own strategies.
• Despite mixed polling and skepticism from some media outlets, Bennett and Lapid presented the alliance as a hopeful and bold step toward significant political change and a government without Netanyahu.