Story perspectives

Bennett-Lapid “Together” List Aims 1 Million Immigrants, 25 Seats

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Naftali Bennett announced a plan to bring one million immigrants to Israel in ten years.
Bennett and Yair Lapid will merge their parties into a list called Together, led by Bennett, ahead of October 2026 election.
Polls put Together at 24-26 Knesset seats, roughly matching Likud but well short of the 61-seat majority.
Benny Gantz of Blue and White criticized the merger for weakening the opposition, while Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu welcomed it.

History

Historical Context

Between 1990 and 1995 Israel absorbed roughly one million Soviet-origin Jews, a wave that created parties such as Natan Sharansky’s Yisrael BaAliyah and later merged into Likud, reshaping the right-wing bloc. Their voters often opposed incumbent leaders, contributing to the 1990s defeats of Shamir, Peres, Netanyahu and Barak. Bennett’s 2026 proposal to admit another million mirrors that historic influx and echoes the 1990s coalition realignments.

1 of 2

Story summary

Naftali Bennett announced a plan to bring one million immigrants to Israel in ten years.
Bennett and Yair Lapid will merge their parties into a list called Together, led by Bennett, ahead of October 2026 election.
Polls put Together at 24-26 Knesset seats, roughly matching Likud but well short of the 61-seat majority.
Benny Gantz of Blue and White criticized the merger for weakening the opposition, while Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu welcomed it.

1 / 2