Israeli opposition unites to oust Netanyahu in October 27 election

Five leading members of Israel's Zionist opposition have signed a non-aggression pact, aiming to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 election. The agreement, reached on September 26 at the Tel Aviv home of opposition leader Yair Lapid, includes Lapid, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Liberman. Source: Al Jazeera

Shared positions

Despite ideological differences, the group's statement of principles declares a shared goal of forming a "Zionist, statesmanlike government dedicated to repair and reconstruction." Source: Al Jazeera However, analysts question whether they offer substantive change. With the exception of Golan, all take a fundamentally right-wing approach. None is committed to establishing a Palestinian state, and only the Democrats acknowledge it as a distant goal. None accept that Israel's war on Gaza constitutes genocide or that it has committed war crimes. Source: Al Jazeera

Key figures

• Gadi Eisenkot – Leader of the new Yashar party, credited with originating the Dahiyeh Doctrine of disproportionate force. He quit Netanyahu's war cabinet in June 2024, accusing the prime minister of lacking a strategy. Source: Al Jazeera
• Yair Lapid – Opposition leader and host of the meeting, co-running with Bennett.
• Naftali Bennett – Former prime minister, leading Beyachad.
• Yair Golan – Leader of the Democrats, the only left-leaning figure in the pact.
• Avigdor Liberman – Head of Yisrael Beiteinu.

Analyst Ahron Bregman of King's College London described the dominant opposition forces as representing right-wing politics, unwilling to address the Palestinian issue. He likened them to Netanyahu but without the corruption allegations and far-right support. Source: Al Jazeera