Could a leadership change undo Israel’s international isolation?
Key takeaways
- Opposition leaders hope to end Israel’s isolation, even as they retain policies towards Palestinians that led to it.
- But while they have lots to criticise Netanyahu about, they have few qualms with his wars in Gaza and the rest of the region.
- Those wars – in particular the genocide in Gaza, with more than 72,000 Palestinians killed – have made Israel more unpopular than ever internationally.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Opposition leaders hope to end Israel’s isolation, even as they retain policies towards Palestinians that led to it.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Former Israeli prime ministers Naftali Bennett (left) and Yair Lapid (right) announce their joint run in the upcoming general elections under a new unified party called 'Together' [File: Abir Sultan/EPA]By Simon Speakman Cordall Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026Israeli opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have united in an attempt to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and lead Israel’s next government. But while they have lots to criticise Netanyahu about, they have few qualms with his wars in Gaza and the rest of the region.
Those wars – in particular the genocide in Gaza, with more than 72,000 Palestinians killed – have made Israel more unpopular than ever internationally. But Bennett and Lapid, both former prime ministers, seem to be betting that they will be able to rehabilitate Israel’s global reputation if they get into power in elections that must take place before the end of October.