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Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid are set to officially announce the merger of their two parties under Bennett's leadership later this evening, according to a report by the Times of Israel.
According to the Times of Israel, the new party will be named "Together- Led by Naftali Bennett", according a spokesperson for the former PM. "Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and former prime minister Yair Lapid will announce the first step in the process of healing the State of Israel: the merger of the Yesh Atid party and the Bennett 2026 party into a unified party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett," Bennett's office said in a statement as per Times of Israel. The office further noted that the move unites the blocs for the upcoming elections to lead Israel towards "necessary reforms". "This move unites the 'reform bloc,' puts an end to internal infighting, and allows for all efforts to be invested toward a decisive victory in the upcoming elections and to lead Israel toward the necessary reform". As per the Times of Israel report, a recent Maariv poll showed that Bennett's party neck and neck with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud with 24 Knesset seats, while Yesh Atid received 7. It further mentioned that Bennett, who has previously said that his approach is based on advancing issues on which there is political consensus, had reportedly been in contact with Lapid and Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot to discuss the potential formation of a new joint party called "New Israel." Meanwhile in a post in Hebrew on X, without divulging into further details, Bennett said, "The unity between us is a message to the entire people of Israel: the era of division has ended. The era of repair has arrived." https://x.com/naftalibennett/status/2048401685798645805?s=20 Earlier on Saturday evening, former MK Matan Kahana, who resigned from the Knesset last year to join former IDF chief of staff Eisenkot's Yashar party, said that he would remain a member of Yashar, amid speculation that he may defect to join Bennett's party, the Israeli outlet reported. Kahana previously served as an MK in Bennett's Yamina party, and later a minister in his government, and has advocated for a merger between Eisenkot and Bennett. (ANI)
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