Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced Tuesday that he has registered a new political party under the provisional name “Bennett 2026,” signaling a possible return to politics.
Bennett, who stepped away from public life after leaving office in 2022, confirmed the party’s registration but emphasized that an official decision on whether to run in the next election has yet to be made. “If and when a decision is made to contest the elections, an announcement will follow,” he said.
Sources close to Bennett say he believes there is significant potential among undecided voters, which they claim about 40% of whom lean to the political right. Since the October 7 Hamas-led attack, which some view as a turning point, Bennett has accelerated his return to the political arena.
In preparation, Bennett has hired two political consultants to conduct detailed research on both sides of the political map. A U.S.-based strategist studied the center-left bloc and its potential support for Bennett, while Nevo Cohen, a former adviser to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, focused on right-wing, Likud-aligned, traditional and religious Zionist voters.
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Bennett has faced lasting criticism from right-wing voters over his decision to form a unity government, popularly dubbed "Government for Change," with opposition leader Yair Lapid and Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamist Ra’am party—contrary to a key campaign promise. He also carries political scars from the breakup of his own coalition, triggered by party members Amichai Chikli and Idit Silman.
A former associate described the formation of the new party as a complex process, with Bennett determined to avoid past mistakes. He has hired an advisor with human resources expertise to screen all applicants seeking to join the party. Those who pass an initial review are given additional assignments as part of a multi-stage vetting process.
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Bennett and Yair Lapid — leaders of the short-lived 'Government for Change'
(Photo: Shalev Shalom, TPS)
Over the past 18 months, Bennett has conducted dozens of field visits in Israel’s north and south, meeting privately with local council leaders and pre-military academy students. He has delivered lectures at universities abroad but has largely avoided Israeli media. His silence on major national issues, including the fate of Israeli hostages in Gaza, has sparked criticism.
In a recent interview with Ynetnews, Coalition Whip Ofir Katz accused Bennett of trying to recruit defectors from the current government ahead of the state budget vote. “We identified the move in time and stopped it,” Katz said. “Those he approached are still with us. Fortunately, we received the information early.”
Bennett previously led the short-lived “government of change,” a broad coalition that collapsed in mid-2022. His reentry into politics could reshape the evolving political landscape ahead of Israel’s next national election.