Opposition chiefs form ‘permanent forum’ to work on ousting PM; Bennett, Gantz stay away

Several leaders of opposition parties held a meeting Saturday evening, after which they announced that they were establishing a “permanent forum” aimed at bringing together the various factions of a bloc opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of next year’s elections.

The so-called “change bloc” comprises right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties that seek to provide an alternative to the current, hard-right Netanyahu-led coalition.

In a joint statement, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party, Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Avigdor Liberman, “Yashar! With Eisenkot” chief Gadi Eisenkot, and The Democrats head Yair Golan said that the group’s next meeting would be held “immediately” after the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, which this year falls on October 2.

As part of their efforts to coordinate ahead of the next national election, the opposition chiefs also announced the establishment of a “professional body” aimed at dealing with “the basic guidelines of the next government,” such as drawing up a national constitution, enshrining universal military conscription, and “preserving the character of the State of Israel as a Jewish, democratic and Zionist state.”

Neither former prime minister Naftali Bennett — who has formed a new party provisionally called Bennett 2026 — nor Blue and White-National Unity chief Benny Gantz attended Saturday evening’s meeting, with Bennett marking the 10th anniversary of his father’s death, known in Judaism as yahrzeit.

In their statement, the opposition party chiefs said they expected both men to attend such meetings going forward.

A spokesman for Bennett declined to comment on the statement, saying that he would provide an update later regarding the former prime minister’s participation in the forum’s next meeting.

Asked for comment, a spokeswoman for Gantz said that the Blue and White-National Unity chairman had informed the group in advance that he would not attend due to a scheduling conflict. While she would not confirm his participation in the next meeting, the spokeswoman did say that “in general, he expressed willingness to participate.”

Also absent from the meeting was former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, who this week announced the registration of a new political party he is calling HaMiluimnikim (“The Reservists”), which will run in the next Knesset election “between the blocs” — refusing to align with either Netanyahu’s bloc or the rival change bloc.

While the change bloc is currently working on coordination between the parties rather than forming a united slate, Lapid and Bennett are both still eyeing a union with Eisenkot, formerly the number two MK in the Gantz-led National Unity party, as a way of maximizing the number of seats they receive in the next election, the Kan public broadcaster reported last week.

Gantz versus Liberman

Earlier on Saturday evening, Gantz’s party slammed Liberman for ruling out sitting in a government with either Netanyahu or the Islamist Ra’am party. Ra’am backed the government they were both part of in 2021-2022.

In a statement, Gantz’s party said that “by voting for Liberman, you get [Itamar] Ben Gvir,” implying that by refusing to sit with Netanyahu, Liberman would lead the premier to form another coalition with the far-right Otzma Yehudit party leader.

Gantz, who once built his political career on being a viable leadership alternative to Netanyahu, has not ruled out sitting in government with the premier again if necessary. Earlier this month, he called for opposition leaders to form a temporary “hostage-redemption government,” insisting that Israel must negotiate for a comprehensive deal to free those remaining in captivity in Gaza.

Ahead of Saturday’s meeting, Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party prepared a proposed “document of principles and guidelines” containing a raft of social, security and economic measures intended to guide the next government.

In a post on social media platform X summarizing the document, the hawkish former Netanyahu ally laid out his key principles with an emphasis on defending democracy and the independence of the judicial system through the adoption of a national constitution.

The proposed platform also calls for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre — which Netanyahu has opposed — mandatory secular studies in all Israeli schools, the establishment of a “national task force” to combat organized crime, and the encouragement of immigration from abroad.

At the same time, the government would work to reduce regulations, encourage competition and combat monopolies in the economic realm while diminishing the power of the rabbinate in the field of religion by limiting Israel to only one chief rabbi, instituting civil marriage, and allowing public transportation on Shabbat.

The document has not been adopted by the entire change bloc, although a number of its key demands, such as the conscription of the ultra-Orthodox, are issues of consensus among the opposition.