Eisenkot urges Bennett and Lapid to run on a joint slate to challenge Netanyahu

Former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot on Tuesday proposed the creation of a unified electoral list with former prime minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid ahead of the 2026 general election, according to people familiar with the talks.

Eisenkot, who leads the centrist Yashar! party, suggested that the three parties run on a single joint ticket while retaining their separate identities and agreeing on a shared political platform.

Joint Run, Delayed Leadership Decision

Under the proposal, the three parties — Eisenkot’s Yashar!, Bennett’s political framework, and Lapid’s Yesh Atid — would contest the election together, with the candidate for prime minister chosen closer to election day based on polling and public opinion research.

The plan also envisions a review one year after the election to determine whether the alliance should formally merge into a single party or continue as a joint list of separate factions.

“This is a strategic move, not a one-off initiative,” a source involved in the discussions said. “The idea is to unite all three leaders at once — not partial or gradual mergers.”

Goal: A Large Centrist Bloc

According to Eisenkot’s associates, the aim is to create a large, credible centrist force capable of challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The strategy assumes that additional political forces would operate alongside the alliance, including Yair Golan on the left and Avigdor Lieberman on the right.

Eisenkot is said to be in ongoing contact with all the key figures involved. “Gadi speaks regularly with Bennett and Lapid, and also with Golan and Lieberman,” the source said, adding that no final decisions have been made. “At this stage, there is no yes or no.”

Not a Media Tactic, Aides Say

Eisenkot’s circle rejected claims that the initiative is political maneuvering aimed at headlines.

“This is not media spin,” the source said. “If the leaders conclude that the public wants one large, strong centrist party, this is the best solution.”

The proposal would allow each leader to preserve his party’s identity while projecting unity and governing capability, supporters argue.

Policy Priorities and Opposition Coordination

The concept would involve a single ballot representing three parties, each maintaining its organizational structure. After a year in the Knesset, the parties would decide whether to fully merge.

Among the shared policy priorities expected to form the alliance’s common ground are the establishment of a state investigative commission, education reform, and legislation on military conscription.

Meetings among opposition leaders discussing the plan have also included Lieberman and Yair Golan, with Eisenkot pushing for a three-way alliance to be formed simultaneously rather than in stages.

Gantz Excluded, Criticism From the Right

Notably absent from Eisenkot’s plan is his former political partner Benny Gantz, who in recent days launched his own campaign for a government excluding far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Islamist Ra’am party.

Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists Party, criticized the proposed alliance, arguing that the political battle will be decided to the right of center.

“What happens in the center or center-left is less important,” Hendel said. “Right-wing voters who see the current government as a catastrophe, including religious Zionists who oppose the draft-evasion law, will not vote for such a bloc. That is why the Reservists Party is essential in the next election.”