Former Israeli PM emerges as wildcard in high-stakes election with Middle East's future at stake

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is seeking a political comeback with an ambitious vision for the Middle East: expanding the Abraham Accords, building economic partnerships with Arab nations and rebuilding Israel's strained international relationships, particularly with the United States.For Bennett, whose American parents moved to Israel from San Francisco, the U.S.connection is both personal and political.

The 54-year-old former technology entrepreneur, a familiar face on American television, believes his business background could help him work with President Donald Trump to advance regional diplomacy."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."TRUMP CALLS ON ARAB NATIONS TO SIGN ABRAHAM ACCORDSFormer Israeli Prime Minister and head of newly merged 'Together' party, Naftali Bennet speaks at a press conference at the Israeli parliament on May 20, 2026 in Jerusalem.

(Amir Levy/Getty Images)Bennett said he would aggressively pursue regional agreements through economic cooperation, seeking to build on the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.But while his ambitions overlap with Trump's regional agenda, the president endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection on Oct.

18.Bennett also faces an unusual political challenge at home.His joint Beyachad, or Together, party with former Prime Minister Yair Lapid is polling behind both Netanyahu's Likud and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.A Channel 12 poll published Oct.

23 projected 23 Knesset seats for Eisenkot, 21 for Netanyahu and 15 for Bennett and Lapid.Yet Bennett knows better than most Israeli politicians that leading the largest party is not necessary to become prime minister.In 2021, he took office despite his Yamina party winning just seven of the Knesset's 120 seats, demonstrating the power o...