Full Breakdown
B’Yachad Unveils Slate Promising a “Repair” of Israel After October 7
9/10/2026, 4:08:46 AM
Core Event: Slate Launch and Policy Priorities
On a Sunday evening in Tel Aviv, former prime minister Naftuli Bennett presented the joint B’Yachad candidate list, the product of his alliance with opposition leader Yair Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid party. The event, held a day before the October 27 deadline for submitting party lists, featured a roster of former ministers, senior civil servants, military veterans and reservist activists. Bennett framed the slate as a “team of doers” ready to “repair the State of Israel” from day one.
Key policy pledges highlighted at the launch included:
- A state-led commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks.
- Drafting ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men into the Israel Defense Forces and withholding state benefits from those who refuse service.
- Expanding the Israeli army to confront Hamas and Hezbollah.
- Overhauling education and the economy, with a focus on integrating Haredi communities.
Background & Context
The B’Yachad alliance pairs Bennett’s right-leaning base with Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid, positioning itself as an experienced alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which critics blame for the lack of preparedness for the October 7 onslaught.
Key Figures & Groups
- Naftuli Bennett – former prime minister, B’Yachad party head.
- Yair Lapid – opposition leader, Yesh Atid founder, second on the slate.
- Noam Tibon – retired Major-General, security expert, placed sixth.
- Keren Terner – former director-general of the Finance and Transportation ministries.
- Liran Avisar Ben-Horin – former director-general of the Communications ministry.
- Michal Negri – former director-general of Ra’anana municipality.
Data & Statistics
- Polls project B’Yachad to win 12–15 seats, making it the Knesset’s third-largest party.
- The slate includes nine active reservists who together logged 2,825 days of reserve duty during the war.
- Five of the top ten candidates are women.
Official Statements & Responses
- Bennett: “After hard work and thorough selection processes, today we are presenting the best team for repairing the State of Israel.”
- Tibon: “Draft the Haredim and stop the evasion. Anyone who doesn’t serve will not receive a shekel from the state.”
- Lapid: “I have no intention of pretending that everything is fine.”
- Opposition leaders—Bennett, Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman, and Yair Golan—issued a joint statement pledging to create the commission of inquiry immediately after forming a government.
Why It Matters / Impact
The slate’s emphasis on security reform, universal conscription, and a state inquiry addresses demand for accountability after the October 7 attacks. By foregrounding experienced administrators and reservist heroes, B’Yachad seeks to differentiate itself from both Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s Yashar, targeting centrist voters who prioritize competent governance.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Polling estimates for B’Yachad’s seat count vary between 12–15 and 13–15 (Jerusalem Post). No definitive source is cited for a single figure.
- While the party pledges a universal draft, the precise legislative pathway and timeline for ending Haredi exemptions remain unspecified.
What’s Next
The final candidate lists must be submitted to the Central Elections Committee by the October 27 deadline. The upcoming election will determine whether B’Yachad can translate its “repair” narrative into a governing coalition.
