Jerusalem – Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top rivals announced they would join forces in an upcoming election to oust his coalition government, with a focus mainly on domestic issues such as military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox.
But on issues like Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, the joint party led by right-leaning Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid is expected to pursue a security posture similar to that of Netanyahu — who heads the most right-leaning government in Israel’s history — meaning Israel’s foreign policy would remain largely unchanged.
The new party, called “BeYachad” meaning “together” in Hebrew, has not released a formal policy platform. But below is what is known about their positions on regional conflicts, based on recent public comments.
Bennett, 54, and Lapid, 62, have staunchly backed Netanyahu’s decision to jointly attack Iran with the U.S., reflecting broad public support in Israel for the war.
At the start of Israel’s aerial bombardment in Iran, Lapid said in an interview that it was a “just war against evil.”
Both Bennett and Lapid have since criticized Netanyahu, 76, for what they describe as a failure to achieve Israel’s main objectives in the war, including toppling Iran’s clerical government.
However, neither man has called for a resumption in fighting since Israeli and U.S. attacks and Iranian missile fire was halted by an April 8 ceasefire.
A source close to their new party described Bennett and Lapid as “hawkish” and “tough on Iran.”
They are also “pragmatic and understand the need for diplomatic agreements and the work that happens after the military use of force to achieve strategic goals,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe their party’s priorities.
Bennett and Lapid have also both staunchly supported Israeli military operations in Lebanon while questioning an April 17 ceasefire that has failed to halt fighting between the Israeli military and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.
Shortly before Israel’s military invaded southern Lebanon in March, Lapid said that Israel must take whatever steps were necessary to protect Israelis.
After the ceasefire with Hezbollah was announced in April, Lapid said the only solution was the permanent removal of the threat to northern Israel.
Bennett sharply criticized the ceasefire, saying in an April 17 Facebook post: “One can already count backwards towards the next round. Hezbollah began this morning to rebuild southern Lebanon and is becoming stronger with missiles ahead of the next round.”
On the war in Gaza, where Israel has continued to carry out deadly strikes despite a ceasefire last October, both Bennett and Lapid have criticized Netanyahu for not fully destroying the Hamas militant group after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that it led.
In January, Lapid said…