Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett reportedly returning to politics - N12

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett may be returning to politics, according to an N12 exclusive report on Saturday night. Although there is no current election date, Bennett’s still unnamed party has reportedly begun reaching out to individuals who had previously supported him.

Bennett's team has, according to N12, contacted over a hundred previous employees and followers to gauge their support.

This comes after recent polls showed the former Prime Minister leading in terms of suitability for the role of Prime Minister, with a substantial edge over other parties. 

Bennet surpassed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by 40% to 29% in terms of suitability in an N12 survey published on Friday.

Compared to opposition leader Yair Lapid, Netanyahu received 31% over Lapid’s 29% for suitability. However, in both cases, many respondents felt that none of these options were preferable. 

An additional N12 survey showed that should Bennett run, his party would receive 20 seats, the same number as Netanyahu's Likud. The National Camp would receive 13 seats, and an ‘anti-Netanyahu bloc’ – excluding the Arab parties Ra'am and Hadash-Ta'al – would receive 61 seats.

Additional Surveys

A survey by Kan News and the Kantar Institute examined the potential establishment of a new right-wing party led by Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gideon Sa'ar.

This party was predicted to win 27 seats, primarily at the expense of existing center and right-wing parties, pushing Religious Zionism below the electoral threshold. 

The Jerusalem Post has reached out to Bennett's office for comment.