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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

'Common Goal': Netanyahu's Enemies Ready to Remove Him, But Not to Abandon Wars

2026-05-01

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
by Shamil Kerashev

A solid analysis with unnecessary kibbitzing based on the view from afar. Worth exactly what you paid for it, dear Reader, and completely not guaranteed to be correct.

[REGNUM] Israel's political system, which has been in a state of turbulence for years,

…Israel has a very vigorous and enthusiastic democracy. Her politicians must be tough to survive…

has produced a new, high-profile news story. The local press is calling it a "marriage of convenience against Benjamin Netanyahu."

We're talking about the alliance between former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. They recently decided to merge their movements, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid, into the Be'Yahad (Together) bloc in order to secure victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Or, at the very least, to provide stiff competition to the "eternal prime minister's" team.

Naftali Bennett has proved to be a severe disappointment. He has all the right ingredients, but lacks the wily shrewdness necessary to make things happen. Poor Mr. Lapid has truly lovely hair, and looks beautifully resolute for the camera. Perhaps he would have done better in Canada.

To be fair, such an alliance wouldn't surprise local voters. In 2021, it was Bennett and Lapid's alliance that interrupted Bibi's (Netanyahu's nickname) rule. Although only briefly. The fragile coalition was held together by a situational alliance of the right, socialists, and the Arab opposition—and, overall, was more of a showcase of incompatible forces.

They all wanted desperately to topple Bibi, which very briefly sufficed.

Moreover, the two leaders appeared completely incompatible from the very beginning. The refined liberal Lapid always relied on the secular urban population and demanded the consistent integration of the Jewish state into the Western world. He also advocated an agreement with the Palestinians based on the principle of "two states for two peoples."

That won’t fly anymore. Except for the weekly protesting idiots, all Israel knows that’s just a way to get to the next 10/7 faster.

Bennett, however, is a politician of a completely different breed. A retired special forces commander,

…as was Bibi, a generation earlier…

a staunch Zionist, and a supporter of expanded settlement activity in the West Bank, he is traditionally considered a "fresher version" of Netanyahu himself, with whom he once worked closely but later fell out completely.

Like Bibi, Naftali spent part of his childhood in America and made his fortune there, but in other ways their experiences were very different. Bibi’s mother was a Sabra and a lawyer, his father moved from Europe as a child and was an academic. Naftali’s parents were American Progressive activists who made aliyah and went into real estate. Bibi is on his third wife, Naftali has stuck with the first woman he married. Bibi went to university in America, studying business, architecture, and politics for a future of public service, then worked in America as a business consultant before returning to Israel for good, while Naftali got his degrees in Israel, in business and law, then went to America to become a software entrepreneur before returning to Israel to grow more businesses, both his own and as a venture capitalist, while turning his attention to helping his country in the political arena — both men have noble intentions, but their approaches no doubt clash.

The previous merger of these two opposites ended in a predictable collapse. The MKs loyal to Naftali Bennett, with a national-religious orientation, simply couldn't coexist with those who supported Lapid's Yesh Atid, and vice versa. Passing laws under such conditions became virtually impossible, so by the end of 2022, the "government of change" collapsed under the weight of endless disputes, paving the way for Bibi's triumphant return.

And so it will again, should the joint venture manage to put together a government.

But what can we expect from a second attempt at power? Both opposition leaders say the mistakes of the past have been carefully analyzed and addressed. "We must put an end to internal strife and focus all our efforts on moving our state forward," declared Yair Lapid. "Our unification is a message to all the people of Israel: the era of polarization is over. The time has come to part with Netanyahu and open a new chapter in Israel's history," adds Bennett.

In short, Be’Yahad certainly has plenty of ambition. And most importantly, the very concept of cooperation this time around seems a little more realistic. Instead of gathering representatives of openly opposing camps under a single banner, the coalition intends to win a slice of the moderate right-wing electorate from the ruling Likud party and help it find common ground with the center-left.

Former Chief of the General Staff, pragmatic conservative Gadi Eisenkot, is keen to contribute to this task

… no doubt…

and has been officially offered the third position. He hasn't yet given a definitive answer, but appears willing to accept. "We share a common goal, which requires responsible and wise action to achieve the changes needed by the country and its citizens," The Times of Israel quotes Eisenkot as saying.

However, according to Israeli political analysts, the latter is far from a guarantee of success. According to opinion polls, even with the support of a respected military leader, the bloc could claim 25-28 seats in the Knesset. Netanyahu's faction is given the same number.

Consequently, the final outcome will critically depend on the opponents' ability to form coalitions. It's already clear that Bibi will once again be backed by his "natural allies" of recent years—the ultra-Orthodox (Shas, United Torah Judaism), the far-right (Otzma Yehudit), and Bezalel Smotrich's radical Religious Zionists.

Thus, the Lapid-Bennett team will clearly have to select everyone who remains. This includes Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu, the renewed Democrats bloc,

…actually the labour socialists renamed in honour of their American Democratic Party sponsors…

and several other forces from the left-liberal second tier.

Again, what they have in common is they loathe Bibi. And ego.

Hypothetically, it's conceivable that this time, having learned from bitter experience, they won't squabble even during the seating stage and will reach genuine unanimity. And on some issues, this will be achieved with 100% certainty: for example, all of Bibi's opponents, without exception, dream of finally burying the scandalous judicial reform.

Another excuse to harass him, it seems to me. And a fight by the Israeli deep state to retain control of one of the levers of power.

However, the question arises: will this be enough for a minimum absolute majority of 61 seats? If the answer is no, the most dangerous factor will come to the forefront: the Arab parties Ra'am,

…the political party of the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel…

Hadash,

…the Arab Communist party in Israel…

and Ta'al.

…anti-Zionist Arab nationalists, they are not big enough to get Knesset seats on their own, but they’re willing to team up.

On the one hand, their representation in the legislature should be sufficient for Be'Yahad to decisively tip the scales in its favor. But on the other hand, in today's Israeli reality, such an alliance is fraught with serious risks, at a minimum, and political suicide, at worst.

For Bennett, who is striving to maintain his image as an alternative leader of the right (even if now moderate), this ice is too thin. And Lapid, while formally remaining a staunch globalist democrat, has recently moved noticeably to the right—he warmly welcomed the military operation against Iran, harshly criticized the ceasefire with Lebanon, and distanced himself from his own statements supporting the recognition of Palestine.

Glory hallelujah, the man can learn.

Therefore, the election result—whatever it turns out to be—definitely rules out stability. If the coalition does decide to rely on Muslim mandates to secure a majority of votes, another flare-up on the borders will threaten it with an internal crisis and the potential for collapse. Not to mention that Benjamin Netanyahu, finding himself in the opposition gallery, will inevitably accuse Be'Yahad of betraying national interests.

The second scenario—a conditional victory without the Arabs—will likely simply lead the Middle East conflict to a somewhat different style of governance and external positioning. Currently, there are no influential forces in the Israeli political mainstream willing to make concessions and renounce the annexation of territories: war, from the Jewish state's perspective, has effectively become synonymous with defense.

That is Israel’s current reality - a good thing they recognize it.

Therefore, Israeli analysts believe that, at best, Be'Yahad will abandon its aggressive messianic rhetoric and try to make its actions appear more polished in the eyes of the international community. However, certain disagreements are also inevitable in relations with the army.

Yair Lapid is an ideal partner for European liberals and the US Democratic Party.

…except for being Jewish and Israeli, and committed to Israel’s continued existence, all of which is anathema to the current generation of Democrats…

Naftali Bennett, however, is much closer to the American Republicans and has even included a couple of former Donald Trump advisers in his campaign team.

Bibi was friends with The Donald’s father, which led to his friendship with the son, so that’ll be interesting.

On paper, this duality creates the impression of universality. However, in reality—given the acute contradictions engulfing the collective West itself—it's not difficult to find weaknesses.

Especially when their search is taken over by the grandmaster of political intrigue, Netanyahu, who seems determined to break all records of political survival.

Posted by:badanov

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