Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is positioning himself for a political comeback, advocating for an expansion of the Abraham Accords and enhanced economic partnerships with Arab nations. Bennett, whose vision includes rebuilding strained relationships with the United States, sees common ground with former U.S. President Donald Trump, citing a shared business-oriented approach to governance.
"He was a businessman, not a career politician, same as me," Bennett told The Times of Israel in June, referring to Trump. "His worldview is, let's get stuff done. Let's look at results, not process. And that's precisely my view."
Bennett's ambition to foster regional agreements through economic cooperation builds on the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. However, his diplomatic agenda faces a complex domestic political landscape. Current polling suggests Bennett's joint list with former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the 'Together' party, is trailing behind Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party in the upcoming election. A Channel 12 poll projected 23 Knesset seats for Eisenkot, 21 for Netanyahu, and 15 for Bennett and Lapid.
Despite the polling, Bennett has a proven track record of navigating Israel's parliamentary system to achieve the premiership. In 2021, he became prime minister with his Yamina party holding only seven seats, illustrating the power of coalition building.
Bennett, a former technology entrepreneur, served in elite military units before co-founding a cybersecurity company. He entered politics as Netanyahu's chief of staff and later held ministerial positions in economy, education, and defense. His 2021 coalition, which ended Netanyahu's 12-year premiership, was notable for its diverse makeup, including right-wing, centrist, left-wing, and Arab parties, though it ultimately collapsed in 2022.
Strategists suggest Bennett has used his time out of office to prepare for another political opportunity. "In 2021, he wasn't prepared. He hadn't built a governing party; he had built another election campaign," said Einat Halevy Levin, a strategic advisor. She noted that since the October 7 Hamas-led attack, Bennett has been actively building a political organization.
Bennett's approach to regional diplomacy emphasizes economic interests, a departure from a purely security-focused lens. He has pointed to his past meetings with leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed as examples of the diplomatic engagement he aims to revive. He has also identified extremist settler violence in the West Bank as a significant detriment to Israel's international standing, vowing to direct officials to develop a plan to crack down on such actions.
On foreign policy, Bennett has advocated for a more direct approach to confronting Iran, termed his "Octopus Doctrine," which calls for striking Tehran in response to attacks from Iranian-backed groups. Regarding Gaza, he opposes Palestinian statehood and supports maintaining Israeli security control until Hamas is disarmed, proposing the involvement of Egypt in future arrangements while excluding Qatar and Turkey.
Analysts caution that significant diplomatic gains may require more than a change in leadership. Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, suggested that policies such as supporting settlement expansion and maintaining the occupation of Gaza conflict with the goal of improving international standing. He noted a shift in American public opinion, with a February 2026 Gallup survey showing a near-even split in sympathy between Israelis and Palestinians, a change from previous years.
Domestically, Bennett has outlined plans including redirecting government benefits, reducing food prices, and establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks. He also proposes an eight-year term limit for prime ministers. The success of these plans, like his previous return to power, will likely depend on the intricate coalition negotiations that follow the election.