Multiple Yesh Atid lawmakers told The Zioneer Tuesday evening that the party must merge with Gadi Eisenkot now, warning that failure to act could damage the entire anti-Netanyahu bloc. The remarks follow a Channel 13 report that Naftali Bennett examined the option of dissolving his partnership with Yair Lapid.
Tuesday evening saw a new escalation in the internal jockeying within Israel's anti-Netanyahu camp. Multiple Yesh Atid lawmakers, speaking to The Zioneer on condition of anonymity, called on party leader Yair Lapid to pursue an immediate merger with former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot. "If we don't act now, the entire bloc could be damaged," one MK said, echoing a sentiment that the current partnership with Naftali Bennett is no longer sustainable.
The push follows a report by Channel 13 journalist Michael Shemesh that Bennett had explored dissolving the Bennett-Lapid alliance — an assertion Bennett himself has not confirmed but that Lapid earlier Tuesday dismissed as a "poison machine" attempt. Since then, Bennett has publicly called on Eisenkot to enter merger talks, while Eisenkot has hinted he could align with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A Kan 11 poll published Tuesday evening showed Eisenkot pulling ahead of Bennett by four seats, and a Channel 12 poll earlier this week had them tied at 20 each, with Likud at 22.
The Yesh Atid MKs' intervention represents the first time sitting members of Lapid's own party have publicly urged a move that would effectively sideline Bennett. No official merger proposal has been tabled, and Lapid has not responded to the lawmakers' statements.
2 developments
- StrongBennett signals readiness to serve under Eisenkot in a replacement government
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom columnist: Eisenkot poised to leap ahead of Likud if he matches Bennett
- StrongBennett calls on Eisenkot to join him for merger talks, says he can beat Netanyahu
- DevelopingGadi Eisenkot says coalition talks must focus on 'what yes, not what no'
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake