Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael Elections 2026Analysis As Bennett and Lapid continue to bleed support, the former IDF Chief of Staff is steadily rising in the polls ■ With plenty of time before Israel's election, a three-way merger could come to fruition if these trends continue and Netanyahu's Likud manages to surge past EisenkotShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeRavit Hecht02:45 PM • July 01 2026 IDTJust over two months after the dramatic merger, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid are experiencing what is likely the worst-case scenario they could have imagined for the political move that was meant to put them on a path to victory in the next election.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel Elections 2026Gadi EisenkotYasharYair LapidNaftali BennettTogetherLikudCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesGaza AidTwo-state SolutionMelat KirosChatGPTSerj TankianHaQuizHaaretz PodcastBennett and Lapid Hoped to Force Eisenkot's Hand, but May Need Him to SurviveHaaretz Expands U.S. Presence With New Bureau Chief, Washington CorrespondentNY Woman Charged With Funneling Cryptocurrency to Palestinian Islamic Jihad'Studying Is Resistance': The Library Where Palestinian Children Can Feel SafeIsrael's Top Court Freezes Appointment of Netanyahu's Lawyer as State WatchdogRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsA Collapsing Society: Israel Suffers National Mental Crisis Due to the WarFlagGate: How Israel Set Off a Storm by Hosting a Separatist Genocide DenierWhy Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad LanderSettlers Tried to Torch Palestinian Homes. They Messed With the Wrong Village