Netanyahu rivals join forces for election

Former Israeli Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have merged their parties to form a new electoral alliance called "Together." The alliance, officially named "Together – Led by Naftali Bennett," sees Bennett as the senior leader with broad authority and Lapid as his first deputy. The move was praised by figures like Avigdor Lieberman as vital for democracy but attacked by Netanyahu's Likud party as a deceptive political trap. Bennett had previously attempted to recruit former IDF chief Gadi Eizenkot, who refused to join but left open the possibility of future cooperation.