Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party submitted its finalized Knesset candidate list Monday and announced it will not run jointly with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, according to The Zioneer.
Bennett's B'Yachad party submitted its finalized Knesset candidate list Monday afternoon and officially announced it will not run jointly with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party—a decision that had been signaled since Friday, when both men submitted separate lists and reports indicated the merger was off the table.
On Friday Sep 4, at 19:56 Jerusalem, N12 and Kan 11 reported that Bennett and Eisenkot had submitted separate candidate lists, ending weeks of speculation about a joint ticket. Kan 11 explicitly reported the union had been abandoned. Bennett also requested the letter 'Bet' on the ballot, forgoing the letters associated with Yair Lapid. Earlier in the week, reports noted that Eisenkot's inner circle had reservations about a merger, and that Bennett was examining all options before choosing an independent path.
The decision comes as Bennett's party has seen a sustained polling decline, overtaken by Eisenkot as the leading opposition candidate. As The Zioneer reported on Aug 18, a Channel 14 poll showed B'Yachad crashing to just 6 seats. Bennett has also adopted a centrist stance on Judea and Samaria, drawing criticism from right-wing figures.
With the lists now finalized, the opposition landscape is set for a fragmented race. It remains unclear whether other parties will pursue joint arrangements before Election Day, or whether Bennett's independent bid can regain momentum.
7 developments
- StrongBennett and Lapid's Together party publishes updated Knesset list
- DevelopingYachad holds emergency meeting as polls slide — party sources say
- DevelopingBennett pressures Hili Tropper to merge his faction with 'Together' party, offers full union
- DevelopingBennett vowed to probe post-Oct 7 actions, cancel coalition laws upon forming government
Source and signal
- Open-source intake