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For Heaven's Sake

Re-Release: Bennett 2026

4/29/202638 min

In light of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid recently announcing the launch of a unified party for the Knesset elections, we are re-releasing our episode Bennett 2026, recorded on January 6, 2026. Donniel and Yossi will be back with a new episode next week. 

Is former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a right-wing ideologue or Israel's great national healer?  

Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi grapple with this paradox as they examine the only candidate currently ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in national polling. They explore Bennett's extraordinary transformation from an ideological conservative to national unifier, discuss his brief but transformative year as Prime Minister, and consider what his return might mean for Israel's future.  

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Clips

October 6th vs. October 8th
Decency in Power, Tested
Right-Wing, With Restraint
Only Right-Wing Options Now
The Right’s Unforgiven Promise
Could Bennett Say Two States?
Reversing The Benefits Pyramid
His Best Political Year
From Ideologue To Unifier

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Speaker 00:00

    [intro music] You are listening to an Arc Media podcast.

  2. Speaker 10:06

    Hi, For Heaven's Sake listeners. In light of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid recently announcing the launch of a unified party for the Knesset elections, we are re-releasing our episode, Bennett 2026, recorded on January 6th, 2026. Daniella and Yossi will be back with a new episode next week. We hope you enjoy.

  3. Donniel Hartman· Host0:31

    Bennett has an awakening in which he says, "What is this? What's the greatest danger? Is the greatest danger facing Israel our borders, or is it the hatred and the divisiveness that's coming from inside?"

  4. Yossi Klein Halevi· Host0:42

    This election is going to be fought on basically one issue. Do we want an Israel that's October 6th or October 8th? October 6th, the year leading up to October 7th, we were tearing each other apart. October 8th, we instantly pivoted to a level of national unity that we've rarely seen in this country. Bennett is the Prime Minister of October 8th. Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of October 6th, and that's what the election's about.

  5. Donniel Hartman· Host1:09

    [music] Hi, friends. This is Daniella Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi from the Shalom Hartman Institute, and this is our podcast, For Heaven's Sake, from the Hartman Institute and in collaboration

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