Opposition Leaders Applaud Bennett-Lapid Union as Right-Wing Factions Warn of Islamist Influence

Yair Golan and Avigdor Liberman welcome the Bennett-Lapid merger as right-wing ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir warn of a return to an Islamist coalition.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 26, 2026, 10:32 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Times of Israel

Opposition Bloc Welcomes Strategic Consolidation

The announcement of a unified electoral list between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid has been met with praise from several key opposition figures. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, welcomed the move as a positive development for the bloc, asserting that his own party would serve as the democratic and liberal backbone of a future government. Similarly, Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman expressed his support for the joint slate, emphasizing that the primary objective for the opposition remains the replacement of the current "October 7 government."

Right-Wing Rejection and the Islamist Narrative

In sharp contrast to the opposition’s enthusiasm, members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition have reacted with a coordinated assault on the new union. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the "brotherhood alliance," claiming that Bennett and Lapid are once again prepared to compromise national interests to the Islamic movement. Ben Gvir characterized Bennett as a radical leftist, signaling that the right wing intends to frame the merger as a threat to traditional Zionist governance.

The Shadow of the 2021-2022 Coalition

The vitriol from the right is rooted in the historical precedent set by the Bennett-Lapid government, which made history by including Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party in its coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich underscored this point by circulating a photograph of Bennett and Lapid alongside Abbas, labeling the new merger the "Abbas servant alliance." This diverse 2021-2022 government was the first to interrupt Netanyahu’s long-standing premiership, eventually collapsing after intense right-wing pressure led to defections from Bennett’s own party.