Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan agreed to coordinate their parties ahead of Israel’s October 27 Knesset election, seeking higher turnout, a majority and a government to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s.
Their document says three joint working groups will be set up within 48 hours. They will focus on turnout and what the leaders call election integrity; draft government guidelines, including an official commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 attacks and a new constitution; and coordinate media work against what the document calls “fake news and smear campaigns.”
Netanyahu said only a strong Likud could stop the opposition and claimed Eisenkot would seek a government with Lapid, Golan, Bennett 2026, Yisrael Beiteinu and Arab parties. Netanyahu also posted an AI-altered image of the meeting that added United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas and Hadash-Ta’al leader Ahmad Tibi, neither among the five named attendees. Bennett said he was confident the bloc could win 63 seats.
