Opposition party heads met on Wednesday to discuss plans for toppling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and expressed shared support in offering a political safety net for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
Those who attended were part of the recently launched forum called “the change bloc,” which includes Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot (Yashar!), former prime minister Naftali Bennett (Bennett 2026), MK Benny Gantz (Blue and White), MK Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu), and Yair Golan (The Democrats).
“The meeting focused on coordinating steps to bring down the government already in the upcoming [Knesset] winter session,” the leaders released in a statement following the meeting. The current elections are slated for October 2026; therefore, toppling the government during the Knesset’s winter session would mean triggering early elections in the country.
'A government of repair and healing'
The leaders said that they discussed plans to “establish a government of repair and healing in Israel.”
The opposition party heads also said they voiced support for providing Netanyahu with a political safety net for Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which includes releasing all the hostages currently held in Hamas captivity.
The offer of a safety net would allow for the deal to potentially be implemented regardless of opposition from right-wing ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both ministers have drawn red lines to leave the government and expressed objections to the deal.
Lapid had vowed his full commitment to providing Netanyahu with a political safety net to go forward with Trump’s peace plan during opening remarks at a Yesh Atid faction meeting on Sunday. While the newly registered Reservists Party was not included as part of the change bloc forum, it released a statement after the meeting expressing support for creating an alternative “Zionist government.”
The Reservist Party said it “will be the deciding factor in forming a government.”
Its founders have said The Reservist Party is willing to sit with parties on both the right and left of the political spectrum, as long as those they sit with agree to a Zionist government, a universal draft for all Israeli citizens, and a commission of inquiry into the events of October 7.
Liberman, Lapid, Eisenkot, and Golan held a joint meeting in late September where they decided to create a “permanent forum” for the change bloc to hold meetings. At the time, Bennett and Gantz were reportedly unable to attend due to scheduling issues, despite being invited.
The opposition party heads had been holding separate one-on-one talks in the summer, saying that they were forming a set of “guidelines” for the next government to replace Netanyahu. While photos of the party leaders’ meetings are typically released after the meetings, no picture was sent out after the Wednesday meeting.
Members of the Arab parties were not invited to be a part of the forum. Liberman stated in September that he would not be willing to sit with Arab or haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties in the next government.
While Lapid voiced a similar sentiment in September, Golan said that “those who continue to disqualify Arabs as political partners, especially at this critical moment, are aligning themselves with the extreme Right and fail to understand just how dangerous the current government is and how severe our reality has become.”