‘Bennett 2026’: Former PM Naftali Bennett registers new political party ahead of expected comeback

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is widely believed to be preparing to run in the next national election, registers a new political party under the interim name “Bennett 2026.”

In a statement quoted by Channel 12, Bennett says that “if and when I decide to actually run for the elections, an announcement will be made on the matter.”

Bennett’s apparent return to politics is welcomed by Opposition Leader and former ally Yair Lapid, who posts, “Congratulations to Naftali Bennett on the establishment of his new party. Israel needs a good government.”

Reports about Bennett’s return to politics have been circulating since last year, with Channel 12 reporting in September 2024 that the national-religious politician had started making preparations for the formation of a new party, contacting more than 100 former activists.

Bennett, who led the now-defunct Yamina party, has been out of office since the 2022 collapse of his diverse coalition government, which in 2021 ousted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the premiership after 12 consecutive years, during which Israel underwent unprecedented political turmoil, including four national elections in three years.

Bennett has also been meeting with various opposition figures. New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar, then a member of the opposition, told The Times of Israel last summer that he had met with Bennett and understood he intended to make a comeback.

The former prime minister has also been photographed meeting with Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, who told The Times of Israel last October that the two still “speak from time to time” but that no final decisions had been made about a rumored joint run.

“To replace this government, we need more seats. If we see in the polls that running together will bring more seats, we will run together,” Liberman said at the time.

Bennett himself hinted at his return last June, expressing hope in a post on X that it would be possible to rebuild a wide unity coalition similar to the one he established with now-Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in 2021.

More recently, he told a private audience of US students in March that should he lead a government again in the future, it would not include Arab parties, as his previous government did, because this time around, the government “must be Zionists.”

According to a recent Channel 12 poll, Bennett is the only politician polled who performs better than Netanyahu in a head-to-head matchup.

When asked who is better suited to serve as prime minister, 38% said Bennett, compared to 31% who said Netanyahu.