Former PM Naftali Bennett Seeks Political Alliance Amid Party's Poll Decline

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is actively pursuing a political alliance with Knesset member Hili Tropper and the "Beit Tzioni" list to strengthen his party, "Yahad," ahead of the upcoming elections on October 27. Bennett has proposed a full merger between the two lists, but as of now, talks have not resulted in an agreement. Tropper is also considering joining forces with Gadi Eizenkot, leader of the "Yashar" party, and has declined to comment on the informal negotiations, promising to update the public when appropriate.

This initiative comes amid a significant drop in support for Bennett's party, which recently fell to 13 seats in a Kan News poll, indicating a notable erosion of its electoral strength. The decline has also diminished prospects for a political union with Eizenkot's party, prompting Bennett to seek new alliances as a potential electoral lifeline.

About a month prior, Tropper had agreed to run jointly with former Knesset member Yoaz Hendel under the "Beit Tzioni" list, aiming to establish a broad Zionist government. Although this united list occasionally surpassed the electoral threshold in some polls, recent surveys show a downward trend, leaving it below the required threshold to enter the Knesset.

Simultaneously, other unification efforts are underway in the center-left political sphere, including negotiations between Benny Gantz and Ayelet Shaked for a joint run. However, these talks have yet to produce a final agreement. As the deadline for submitting party lists approaches, political actors in the center-left are intensifying their search for effective coalitions to compete against the Likud and right-wing parties, aware that failure to unite could result in some parties failing to enter the Knesset and wasting votes.