Naftali Bennett campaigns for return to Israeli politics with focus on expanding Abraham Accords
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Former prime minister Naftali Bennett is positioning himself for a political comeback, emphasizing economic cooperation with Arab states, a renewed partnership with President Donald Trump, and a domestic reform agenda.
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett is seeking a return to politics with a platform that highlights expanding the Abraham Accords, deepening economic ties with Arab nations and rebuilding relations with the United States. Bennett, a former technology entrepreneur, says his business experience can help him work with President Donald Trump on regional diplomacy.
"He was a businessman, not a career politician, same as me. His worldview is, let's get stuff done. Let's look at results, not process. And that's precisely my view," Bennett told The Times of Israel.
Bennett plans to pursue regional agreements through economic cooperation, building on the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. He also cited past meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed as examples of the diplomacy he hopes to revive.
Domestically, Bennett’s October 25 manifesto proposes redirecting 30 billion shekels in benefits toward working families and military service members, cutting food prices by 30 percent, establishing a commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and imposing an eight-year term limit for prime ministers.
Political analysts note that Bennett’s joint Beyachad party with former prime minister Yair Lapid is trailing Likud and the Yashar party in recent polls, and that coalition negotiations will be crucial in Israel’s parliamentary system. Critics argue that without substantive changes to Israeli policy toward the Palestinians, a leadership shift alone may not improve the country’s international standing.
Bennett has also outlined a security stance that includes a policy he calls the “Octopus Doctrine,” which calls for direct action against Iran if Hezbollah attacks Israel, and he opposes Palestinian statehood while supporting continued security control over Gaza until Hamas is disarmed.