Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett may be returning to politics, according to an exclusive N12 report on Saturday night. Although an election date has yet to be set, Bennett’s as-yet-unnamed party has reportedly begun reaching out to individuals who previously supported him.
According to N12, Bennett’s team reached out to more than 100 former employees and followers to gauge their support.
This comes after a recent opinion poll showed the former prime minister far ahead of other parties in terms of suitability for the post of prime minister.
An N12 poll released Friday showed Bennett beating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in terms of eligibility, 40 percent to 29 percent.
Compared to opposition leader Yair Lapid, Netanyahu received 31% for eligibility to Lapid’s 29%, but in both cases many respondents found neither option favorable.
Additional N12 polls found that if Bennett ran, his party would win 20 seats, the same as Netanyahu’s Likud, the National Bloc would win 13 seats, and the “anti-Netanyahu” bloc, excluding the Arab parties Ra’am and Hadash Tal, would win 61 seats.
Further investigation
A survey by Kan News and the Kantar Institute looked at the possibility of founding a new right-wing party led by Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Gideon Sa’ar.
The party was expected to win 27 seats, mainly at the expense of existing centre and right-wing parties, pushing Religious Zionism below the electoral threshold.
The Jerusalem Post has contacted Bennett’s office for comment.
