October 23, 2026
In a political atmosphere characterized by a festive and relaxed nature, far from difficult tests, the two former Israeli prime ministers, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, held a public meeting in the “Zappa” hall in the city of Haifa, where they were received by hundreds of attendees – who were mostly elderly – with a standing ovation and the songs of the “Cavert” band, with the public looking forward to what they described as a program for “state reform.”
During the meeting, which marked a return for Bennett to his city where he grew up – where his mother attended and received a warm reception – Bennett considered these elections to be “the most fateful in the history of the state,” noting that there were six days left to bring “new good news.” He reviewed a package of promises that included forming an official investigation committee, determining the term of office, and establishing an “alliance of servants,” vowing to withhold budgets from the Haredim who do not reject the conditions proposed, which was met with sharp applause. He also warned of the dangers of the “largest party’s” campaign to the bloc’s cohesion, recalling that the largest party does not necessarily guarantee the formation of the government.
The meeting witnessed a single moment of tension when one of the attendees tried to interrupt the general harmony with a question about Arab recruitment, saying: “Why don’t you talk about the Arabs? They don’t serve either,” as she was met with voices of boos and attempts to silence her by the attendees. Following her insistence, Bennett supported the proposal, stressing that the rule of requiring service would apply to everyone, including Arabs, to ensure that non-servants were deprived of money and benefits. Journalist Batya Giladi said in a report published by Maariv newspaper that this moment revealed the lack of patience expected in a conference that claims to seek “state reform.”
Bennett touched on the shift in his political positions in response to journalists reminding him of his conservative positions in 2014, stressing that he had become a liberal and saying: “We are not donkeys, we are changing our opinions,” excluding the issue of establishing a Palestinian state, which he affirmed his adherence to rejecting. The report indicated that the audience’s questions focused on supporting Bennett’s current promises, avoiding delving into his political past, especially his plan in 2019 with Ayelet Shaked to attack the Supreme Court and change the judicial system. Other questions about the extent of their readiness to form a broad government with the Likud in the event of a war broke out, or how to translate their slogans into actual government priorities, were completely absent.
Regarding a local matter, Bennett and Lapid interacted with the demands of one of the participants regarding the development of the “Haifa Metropolis,” considering that the current government does not care about the public. The report pointed out that most of those attending belonged to the opposition camp and the public already supported them, recalling that the “There is a Future” party led by Lapid had topped the results of the 2022 elections in Haifa with a percentage of 26.31%.
The report concluded that the great enthusiasm and filling of the hall reflects the public’s desire to hear a vision for a different future in the historic city of Haifa, but the distance remains between a hall full of loyal supporters and expanding the circle of voters and attracting new segments outside the hall’s walls, with only a few days remaining until the electoral decision.
