The Israeli politicians seeking to replace Netanyahu

What the report says

On September 26, five prominent figures in Israel’s opposition gathered at Yair Lapid’s home in Tel Aviv and signed a non-aggression pact aimed at unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October 27 election, according to Al Jazeera. The group includes Lapid, former prime minister Naftali Bennett, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan and Avigdor Lieberman. They presented their effort as a shared push for a “statesmanlike” government focused on repair and reconstruction, while leaving open questions about who would lead a future coalition and whether it would differ sharply from Netanyahu’s policies.

Al Jazeera’s report describes the main opposition figures as largely aligned on key security and foreign-policy issues. With the partial exception of Golan, the article says none is committed to creating a Palestinian state, and several have adopted strongly hawkish positions on Gaza and on military operations elsewhere in the region. It also notes that none publicly accepts that Israel’s war in Gaza amounts to genocide or war crimes.

The article profiles each politician and party: Eisenkot’s Yashar, Bennett and Lapid’s Beyachad, Golan’s Democrats and Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu. Their shared refusal to rely on Arab parties and their emphasis on Zionist coalition politics suggest that a Netanyahu exit would not necessarily mean a major policy shift for Palestinians, even if it changes the tone or composition of government. The piece frames the alliance as part of a broader Israeli election contest shaped by war, coalition bargaining and debate over the future direction of the country.