ISRAEL VOTES: A Political Shakeup in Israel? - with Amit Segal and Nadav Eyal
4/30/202650 min
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This episode was sponsored by Birthright: Invest in the Jewish future today at onetripchangeseverything.com.
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Bennett and Lapid unite, but does it change anything?
On Sunday, without any prior warning, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid announced they’re joining forces, launching a new unified party called “Beyachad” — “together.” The move comes months ahead of Israel’s October elections, and it immediately raises more questions than answers.
What are they really trying to accomplish? Does this strengthen the anti-Netanyahu bloc — or unintentionally weaken it? And what does it mean for Gadi Eisenkot, who leads the other centrist party and is being pressured by Bennett to join him and Lapid?
This is already shaping up to be one of the most dramatic election cycles in Israel’s history — and one the Jewish diaspora will be watching more closely than ever.
In this episode:
- Bennett and Lapid's history
- Bennett's theory of the race
- The role of the war in the elections
- Structural strengths and weaknesses of both blocks
- Gadi Eisenkot's next move
- Avigdor Lieberman's strategy
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDan Senor· Host0:01
[instrumental music] With a ceasefire in place, Israelis, tired but resilient, are turning their attention to rebuilding. Meanwhile, in the US, college-aged Jews are still facing peer pressure and a constant stream of anti-Israel misinformation on campus, online, and everywhere they turn. They can keep arguing about Israel from thousands of miles away, or they can do the one thing that actually works, go on a Birthright trip and experience Israel for themselves. They will come back more grounded, more confident, and more connected to who they are. So if your family member has been on the fence, or if you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it, because Israel needs them and they need Israel. Go to onetripchangeseverything.com and sign up. Birthright, one trip changes everything.
Nadav Eyal· Guest0:54
[instrumental music] You are listening to an Arc Media podcast. Bennett and Lapid joined politics on the same day in 2013. Bennett began his career in the far right, Lapid in the, what I call the far center. And gradually, they became very similar. I think from a tactical perspective, it made, uh, a lot of sense because the mission is to actually qualify from the semifinals within the opposition to the finals against Netanyahu. So