No. 4: Naftali Bennett: The former PM seeking a comeback to ‘repair Israel’

After two years away from political life, former prime minister Naftali Bennett has returned to the political arena and emerged as a leading candidate in the upcoming elections.

Bennett, who chairs the B’Yachad party, is one of the leading figures in the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and return to the premiership.

In a consequential move, the B’Yachad party merged with Yair Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid party in April, with Bennett at the lead.

The two politicians have underscored the importance of uniting the political camps in the first elections to take place after the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.

Bennett had led a short-lived government after becoming prime minister in June 2021, entering a rotation government with Lapid. His government was the first in Israel’s history to include an Arab party, Ra’am, in the coalition – a highly controversial move.

He has since taken a firm stance against including any Arab faction in a future coalition, acknowledging that he had broken a promise to voters in the past, and saying that after October 7, such a partnership with Arab parties was no longer a viable option.

Since returning to politics, Bennett has shifted from his previous campaigns, taking a more liberal position while maintaining a strong right-wing stance on security.

He aims to bring forward his plan to “repair Israel” in the next government. During his time away from the political scene, he consulted experts to prepare a comprehensive plan for the country’s future.

The plan includes the establishment of a written constitution, raising competition in the market to lower the cost of living, improving transportation, reducing crime rates, and investing in AI to advance the country’s technology and defense.

Bennett has drawn a red line at forming a coalition with haredi parties

Additionally, Bennett has drawn a red line to forming a coalition with the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties, and called for reversing contentious haredi-backed legislation passed by the outgoing government.

He has also taken a hard-line stance toward haredi conscription to the IDF, as his party’s platform seeks to cut all state funding for anyone evading military service.

The former prime minister’s position also differs from that of other opposition party leaders, such as Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot, who has proposed allowing draft exemptions for up to 30% of haredim. In contrast, Bennett has called for no exemptions at all.

He has also developed a plan to reform Israel’s education system, proposing that a government led by him would cut state funding to haredi educational institutions that do not teach core curriculum studies

Instead, all students would be required to spend 60% of their studies on a core curriculum that includes Hebrew, English, mathematics, civics, Torah studies, and Zionist heritage. Individual communities and schools would determine the remaining 40% of studies.

The B’Yachad party leader has also said that one of his first priorities in the next government would be establishing a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7 massacres in Israel.

As elections near, Bennett has taken an optimistic approach to repairing the country.

“I’m optimistic about Israel’s future because there’s a simple formula. I call it the ‘Bennett formula,’” he told The Jerusalem Post in a recent interview. “All we need to do is change the leadership.”

Following the merger with Lapid, B’Yachad began losing ground in the polls, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party gained momentum. Polling has shown Eisenkot overtaking Likud, making him Netanyahu’s leading challenger, with Bennett trailing both.

However, Bennett has made comebacks before in the past.

In 2019, it seemed that Bennett’s political career was over when his New Right Party failed to cross the electoral threshold in the elections. But two years later, he emerged as prime minister.

Now, as Israel heads toward another election, Bennett is back in the race, aiming to bring about change and influence in the next government, and potentially pull off his biggest comeback yet.