In a significant shift in Israeli politics, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and centrist-liberal Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid announced on April 26 that they would join forces ahead of the October elections. The new party is named BeYachad, Hebrew for "together."

Bennett, who served a brief term as prime minister in 2021-2022, represents the right-wing religious Zionist public. He previously headed the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. By allying with Lapid, who represents secular Israelis, Bennett hopes to consolidate both right-wing anti-Netanyahu and secular support.

Tal Schneider, diplomatic and political correspondent for the Times of Israel, says Lapid's declining support and the opposition's desire to avoid losing seats in the Knesset factored into the union. "It wasn't just important for Lapid, but for the whole bloc," she told DW.

Schneider also draws parallels between the Orban and Netanyahu governments. "We see the distress felt by many Israeli citizens who see how the media, the courts, civil freedoms and the freedom of demonstrating are all being eroded," she says, adding that Netanyahu, like Orban, has "strong control" over security authorities and parts of the media.

Polls suggest BeYachad would win 27 seats, down from the 31 the two parties were projected to win separately. The opposition bloc is expected to secure 59 seats, two short of the 61 needed to form a coalition. Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 51 seats.

The remaining 10 seats are expected to go to two Arab-majority parties: the Joint List (5 seats) and Ra'am (5 seats). In 2021, Ra'am made history by becoming the first Arab party to join an Israeli coalition. Bennett has ruled out repeating that cooperation, but Schneider calls the criticism against Ra'am "racist."

The Palestinian issue is barely discussed. Schneider says that after the October 7, 2023 attacks, "most of the Israeli public does not see any potential for solving the conflict." Bennett has reiterated his refusal to allow a Palestinian state, offering little hope to Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Source: www.dw.com