On Wednesday morning, Israeli journalists shared photos of former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman holding a coffee meeting in central Tel Aviv, credited to the latter’s office.
A television poll last month found that more Israelis believe Bennett is better suited to be prime minister than long-serving incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu, in a head-to-head matchup.
Bennett has been out of office since announcing he was leaving politics following the 2022 collapse of his diverse coalition government, which a year earlier ousted Netanyahu from the premiership after 12 consecutive years in the post amid political turmoil that included four national elections in three years.
He has recently hinted at making a comeback, as Netanyahu’s grip on power appears increasingly shaky amid the ongoing war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack and as his coalition is torn over contentious legislative proposals backed by his ultra-Orthodox allies.
Liberman, for his part, on Monday predicted that Netanyahu will dissolve the Knesset and call for fresh elections in November. READ MORE
