In an effort to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu in the October elections, centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid and right-wing former prime minister Naftali Bennett announced that they are joining political forces, forming a common front against Israel’s longest-serving prime minister (1993–1996, 2009–2021, 2022–present).
This cooperation is not unprecedented. The two politicians also worked together in 2021, when they formed a broad coalition of parties from different ideological backgrounds. At that time, they temporarily removed Netanyahu from power, ending his continuous 12-year tenure. However, that government proved fragile and collapsed a year later, paving the way for his return.
Today, the new alliance is seeking to capitalize on growing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s government, which has faced heavy criticism over the war in Gaza, internal political polarization, and the prime minister’s ongoing legal troubles.
In order for a plea deal to be reached, prosecutors and Netanyahu would reach an agreement without completing the trial, likely under certain conditions such as an admission of guilt.
Netanyahu has been on trial for six years in three separate cases involving bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies all charges, calls the case politically motivated, and has requested a presidential pardon from Isaac Herzog. Donald Trump has publicly urged that Netanyahu be pardoned and criticized Herzog for not doing so.
According to reports by the The New York Times, Herzog does not currently wish to approve or reject the request. Instead, he favors mediation toward a plea deal between prosecutors and Netanyahu. Such an agreement could end the trial without a full verdict, possibly in exchange for pleading guilty or political retirement.
Sources: New York Times [1], [2]
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