Eisenkot and Bennett Alliance Falls Apart
Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett's parties have ended merger talks, with Eisenkot's Yashar! party polling significantly higher ahead of the election.
Jerusalem, 6 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett have held talks in recent days about a last-minute merger between their parties, with Eisenkot at the helm and generous representation for Bennett’s allies. However, although neither has publicly ruled out the possibility, both parties currently have little interest in advancing the talks ahead of Tuesday’s election registration deadline.
Eisenkot’s Yashar! (Straight/Honest) party is currently polling well ahead of Bennett’s B’Yachad (Together), with recent surveys giving Yashar! roughly 22 to 24 seats, compared with 6 to 15 for B’Yachad.
Yashar! has also emerged as the opposition’s leading party, frequently competing with Likud for the top spot.