Naftali Bennett
Israel
Bennett 2026
chief executive officer
government
Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician and businessman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the alternate prime minister from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was the leader of the New Right party from 2018 to 2022, having previously led the religious Zionist and far-right political party The Jewish Home between 2012 and 2018.
Standing...
Stories...
Aug 6, 2026
Center
At the Ynet conference, Bennett announced he would declare Qatar an enemy state, a move Eisenkot rejected as an election gimmick.
Yesh Atid sees this as irresponsible populism that cheapens serious security decisions and distracts from the coalition's actual failures.
Aug 5, 2026
Center
He unveiled new additions to his party list, including Bruria Naim, Esty Kovb, Orly Harel and Olesya Kantor, bringing the number of women to 17.
Yesh Atid views Bennett's aggressive list-building as an attempt to capture center-right voters and reduce Yesh Atid's path to leading the next government.
Jul 30, 2026
Center
Potential split with Lapid if the Democrats party grows, affecting the composition and strategy of the change bloc in upcoming elections.
Yesh Atid sees Bennett as a rival within the same camp, and notes that unity is needed to defeat Netanyahu but is threatened by internal competition.
Jul 28, 2026
Far Right
Bennett sharply attacked Qatar at the INSS conference and pledged to declare it an enemy state if he heads the next government.
Religious Zionism praises Bennett for his firm stance against Qatar, aligning with the national camp's security-first approach.
Jul 28, 2026
Center
Bennett said he would declare Qatar a hostile state and revealed intelligence on Qatari funding of Iran's IRGC.
Yesh Atid welcomes Bennett's tough stance on Qatar but remains skeptical of his political reliability.
Jul 23, 2026
Lean Left
Returns to politics with a new centrist party platform focusing on security and economy.
Though from the right, left observers see potential for a broad anti-Netanyahu coalition if he distances from far-right allies.
Jul 21, 2026
Far Left
The former prime minister has largely withdrawn from politics but occasionally comments on coalition extremism.
Hadash views Bennett as a right-wing nationalist whose former government still advanced settlement expansion, and finds his selective criticism hypocritical.
Jul 19, 2026
Far Left
Bennett called for annexation of large parts of the West Bank in a recent interview, gaining traction on the right.
Bennett's annexation plans are a direct threat to a two-state solution, reinforcing Hadash's critique of expansionist policies.
Jul 18, 2026
Far Right
His Beyachad party drops to 16 seats, losing ground to Likud and Yashar.
Religious Zionism interprets this decline as a rejection of his soft-right, pragmatic approach, vindicating harder-line positions.
Jul 18, 2026
Far Left
Emerging as a possible unity candidate amid coalition instability, though his past record is contested.
Critically viewed for his role in annexation plans; his return would likely continue right-wing policies.