Bennett Adds Former Ra'anana City CEO to His Party After Son's Heroism in Be'eri

Naftali Bennett announced on Tuesday that Michal Negri, the former CEO of Ra'anana municipality, is joining his political slate. Bennett described her as an experienced public servant who rose from the education system to a highly successful term running the city where he lives, and said he had known her from his time as education minister.

The announcement comes as Bennett faces a sharp drop in polls and internal tensions in his Yesh Atid, sorry, Yachad party, with recent reports that he has considered ending his political partnership with Yair Lapid because of campaign strain and weakening support. Senior campaign figures have expressed concern about the party's decline, and one reportedly called Lapid a "bomb inside the campaign".

Bennett said his connection to Negri deepened after October 7, when her son, Maj. Roy Negri, a LOTAR unit team commander, rushed with his team to Be'eri without orders. According to Bennett, Negri moved from house to house under fire, rescued civilians from the attack, and was killed in battle while saving lives. Bennett said that when he came to comfort the family, he understood where the son's values came from and saw "the strength of Michal, her determination and her deep love for our country."

Bennett ended by saying her professionalism, experience, and values are what Israel needs to rebuild, and welcomed her to the party. The move comes while the party is also dealing with fallout from a warning letter filed by bereaved parents after remarks Bennett made in an interview.