Bennett 2026

Bennett served as prime minister from June 2021 until June 2022 as the head of the thirty-sixth government of Israel, which was a broad unity government that included "centrist and left-wing parties", in addition to an Arab-Israeli party.^[4]

Despite the party registration, Bennett has not yet decided as of April 2025 whether his party will run in the 2026 Israeli legislative election. He has reportedly employed two political consultants, one focused on the left-wing and the other focused on the right-wing.^[5]

According to opinion polls in late March 2025, Bennett's party would be the largest in an election.^[6]

There had been previous reports of Bennett's imminent political return.^[1] Gideon Sa'ar had stated in early July 2024 that Bennett intends to returns to politics,^[7] while Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman met that same month.^[8]

According to party registration paperwork filed by Bennett 2026 with the Israeli Corporations Authority, the party plans to "restore security to Israel, and restore the people’s trust in Israel’s ability to defend its borders and the interior of the country while implementing an active security concept." The founders of the party include Bennett, "his wife, Gilat", former member of the Communications Ministry Liran Avissar Ben-Horin, former Strauss Group executive Gadi Lesin and Bruria Naim Erman, who is the founder of "PR firm Community Relations." The founding members also include Giora Levi, who was Bennett’s commander while he served in the Sayeret Matkal unit, as well as Ofer Ogash, who previously "ran for Knesset as part of Bennett’s previous party", Yamina, and former Target Market executive Nir Novak.^[9]

According to a report by Channel 12, Bennett is expected to retain close control of the party; he will manage the Knesset faction and will remain party leader until 2034. In addition, he will be the only person in the party to select candidates for the party's electoral list, will have the sole ability to choose government ministers, and will control the selection of Knesset committee members. This is in contrast to the thirty-sixth government of Israel, where numerous members of his government defected from it and ultimately brought about its collapse.^[10]

The party completed its registration in June 2025.^[11]

According to a report by Channel 12, Bennett is expected to retain close control of the party; he will manage the Knesset faction and will remain party leader until 2034. In addition, he will be the only person in the party to select candidates for the party's electoral list, will have the sole ability to choose government ministers, and will control the selection of Knesset committee members. This is in contrast to the thirty-sixth government of Israel, where numerous members of his party defected from his government and ultimately brought about its collapse.^[10]

Bennett announced in February 2026 that Tony Fabrizio and George Birnbaum were joining his campaign team.^[12]

On 26 April 2026, Bennett and Yair Lapid announced in a joint press conference that Bennett 2026 and Lapid's party Yesh Atid would run jointly as part of a new political alliance, Together, which will be led by Bennett.^[15][2][16]

On 4 September 2025, Bennett stated at a Kfar Saba conference that he would head a centrist slate of candidates in the 2026 election, potentially including Gadi Eisenkot (Yashar) and Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu), with the goal to defeat Netanyahu's bloc in election and create a Zionist unity government. This government would pursue several major policies, mainly implementing term limits for the position of prime minister,^{[17][18][note 2]} creating an Israeli constitution,^[19] establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks,^[17] and mandating Haredi conscription to the Israel Defense Forces.^[20]

In March 2025, Bennett announced that he would not include Arab parties if he leads the next government.^[21] In February 2026, he also ruled out serving in a government led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.^[22] In April 2026, while announcing the 'Together' joint slate with Yair Lapid, Bennett described the party as "right-wing liberal Zionist."^[2] Bennett and his party have been described as right-wing by several news outlets.^[3][23]