The Take: Inside the Israeli bloc that could topple Netanyahu
Netanyahu’s rivals unite before elections, but is this alliance strong enough to actually unseat him?
![Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on March 19, 2026. Netanyahu said on March 19 that Israel and the US were "winning" the war against Iran, with the Islamic republic "decimated" and unable to enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles. [Ronen Zvulun / AFP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AFP__20260319__A3YL2RM__v3__HighRes__TopshotIsraelUsIranWarNetanyahu-1778166382.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Israel’s opposition is uniting to try to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections. Former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid are joining forces, but deep divisions remain over the war with Iran and Israel’s future direction. As pressure mounts on Netanyahu after months of war and political turmoil, can the opposition really take power?
In this episode:
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- Mairav Zonszein (@MairavZ), senior Israel analyst, International Crisis Group
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Sari el-Khalili, with Spencer Cline, Chloe K Li, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.