Elections 2026: Interview: B’Yachad/Bennett 2026

This is a restart of this blog, as we now “settle” into year two of our Aliyah. This will be our first Israeli election, which seems hard to believe. As a lobbyist in the States, I would reach out to credible candidates in each party (or whichever side was the non-incumbent) to meet & share our organizational priorities. While I’m not a lobbyist here, I do want to hear directly from all the major “lists” and parties. And, I want to figure out where I can work with whoever wins, whoever is in the government, and whoever is in the opposition. As a “new” Oleh, there’s a lot to do! Israel’s economy needs us. Its public diplomacy needs us. And the Jewish people here and abroad, need us. So I reached out to the “big” parties. We will see who else responds. But the first conversation was with B’Yachad, and with Mati Gill specifically. I met Mati back in 2015, when I helped lead my first Trade Mission to Israel for Ohio state legislators & economic development pros. Mati was at Teva, and I’m not sure if it was on purpose or by accident that we got a Buckeye, but it made the who visit at Teva that much better. O-H-I-O!

Below is based on my conversation with Mati. He’s reviewed the final draft for accuracy.

For Americans coming at this as their first election in a parliamentary system, and, Israel’s first elections since October 7, there’s a lot to unpack. Israel was, no matter the explanation, caught by surprise that day. The heroism of everyday Israelis, Jews & Arabs, in saving lives, rescuing people trapped, and in fighting back against the invaders, often at the worst imaginable odds, takes your breath away. That day, and the war that followed, brought forth a unity that would have been inconceivable a few days earlier. Even now, it’s hard to remember it. Then, before, the polarizing issue was judicial reform. Now, after, it’s the Charedi draft. The next Knesset, and the next government will need to figure all this out.

Israel not only rallied October 7, but it recovered. From a tense few days & weeks where Israel seemed more vulnerable than at any point since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel defeated Hamas in Gaza, decapitated (or pager-capitated) Hezbollah, and twice in a year, together with the United States as literal and strategic wingmen, pushed Iran to the brink. But Hama is not yet disarmed, Hezbollah has not been driven from Lebanon, the Houthis still threaten, and Iran is down but not yet out. Worldwide, it’s no longer correct to say antisemitism and Jew-hatred are rising. The dam’s been broken, and we have reversed over a hundred years. And yet, Israel and the Diaspora remain strong. Israel’s economy is a case study in resilience. Through all of this, the question is what Israel we will leave the next generation. Now, to the questions:

On unity amid deep political & philosophical division; especially when it seems on many divisive topics the vast majority of Israelis seem to basically agree, but extremists on all sides make it near impossible to compromise:

Mati Gill:

This is exactly why Naftali Bennett & Yair Lapid are running together. Because we only make progress by working together with ultimate goals in mind. In this country, we must build partnerships with those with whom we do not share identical views. Israel already did this once before (at least). 80 years ago, Israelis all across the political and religious spectrum signed the Declaration of Independence. This then is the model. Disagree, debate with passion, actually deal with issues openly, debate them, come to a vote, & then govern together with the national good in mind

Bennett’s approach is the opposite of how it is being done now. There’s a concept in navigation that when you are lost you return to the last point of consensus. We need to go back to that national point of consensus, because there is a consensus that certain reforms are very much needed, rather than steamrolling the opposition. In practice, that will mean, a Bennett led government will enact changes to the basic laws and the judiciary with consensus, anchored in a constitution. The last time we had a broad Zionist consensus in the Knesset was the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That document will be the “mavoh” or preamble to the new Basic Law for Legislation which will have a Western style checks & balances, and rules for legislation. We will also pass term limits for the office of prime minister, beginning immediately.

On solving the draft problem:

Mati Gill:

The goal here is not punishing. Our hope is to be inclusive. We are 1 people, 1 country, 1 burden, and, at the same time, 1 set of opportunities.

There are voices on the edge, the extreme that we hear. But the majority is much larger, and there is a consensus. We start from the baseline that in general, every Israeli needs to serve. This is acute now as we are missing 12,000 direct combat and support positions. Our reserves are stretched too thin.

We think everyone serves and those who serve, both in active duty and as reservists, will get real benefits. We will also stop state funding for those who refuse to serve.

But it is not just about serving. As part of our focus not just on today’s soldiers but the pipeline for tomorrow’s, we need dramatic changes to our education system & how we educate/train/create a STEM workforce. With that, there will need to be dramatic reform to Charedi education so that they have the STEM and other skills they need to serve appropriately & then, after service, to find a decent job.

Transforming battlefield successes into strategic wins

Mati Gill:

It’s true that there has been good military success on the missions side. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. The IDF and security services have great intelligence assets, great technology, and above all, great soldiers. However, that doesn’t necessarily – and it is not in reality – translating into long term strategic success. Hamas: still there. Hezbollah: the same. The Iranian front is still open; Houthis are even bolder than before.

What occurred on Oct. 7 was the result of a failed security concept. The current government looked at containment of Hamas, and even to incentivize Hamas to act in the way we Israelis would want them to. That was a failure. We would replace it with proactive initiative. Iran will pay the price for any proxy attack; and, as important, Israel will use its full suite of powers to challenge, and defeat, Iran. Our military & intelligence, but also economic power & diplomacy as well.

On Gaza itself. Here’s what we will do differently. First, we will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is out of power. Second, we will declare, finally that Qatar is an enemy of the state. We will remove both Qatar & Turkey from governing in Gaza.

We will work together with Egypt which shares the border and shares a view that Gaza must be terror-free.

In the North, we will continue to push for security there, and we will operate off the Northern border until we do.

All of this is one reason, as I said, we need every Israeli to serve.

But all of this is also secondary. Today’s battlefield has already changed dramatically. Tomorrow’s will be even more different. Our defensive and offensive capabilities will require tech, AI, and talent. We have all three, but we are also facing a brain drain of talent that is nothing less than a strategic threat. By some accounts, nearly 200,000 Israelis have left in recent years. We need them back, and we need to keep others here.

Security is the opposite side of diplomacy. Naftali Bennett is the first one to call diplomacy a national security issue. We must deepen & expand both the Abraham Accords & the Negev Forum, which began under Bennett – and FM Lapid – last time. And we must advance the India Middle East Europe corridor. We have to rebuild our ties to NATO and Europe. In the United States, we have had great support under President Trump. It’s time he gets a true diplomatic partner. Beyond the presidency, we must revitalize our alliance in America. Just a few years ago, for decades, there was bipartisan support of Israel, even among those who disagreed on much else. Today, I would say, we fear it’s becoming bipartisan against us. Now, Bibi Netanyahu isn’t to blame for that. Qatar and other rogue actors are spending billions, for decades, to change this public debate. But Bibi no longer understands modern America.

It’s why we need to make a major change in our hasbara & public diplomacy. We must make sure our technology – and we should treat public diplomacy the same way we would a new high tech product – making the best investments in the people and the product. We need to manage our diplomacy like we would a startup. Or, better yet, to manage it like Unit 8200 in cyber with proactive and defensive capabilities. To that end, we should create, maybe we even will call it 8300, a civilian social media leadership that can take on our enemies diplomatically, and make Israel’s case proactively where the online battles are happening.

The truth is, these two conversations are even more connected. We had talked about our unity, and now about our ability to project power. If we are torn into two, we can’t be strong externally. We need to project power, and that only comes when we are united.

But Israel doesn’t only defend Jews here in Israel. We have a responsibility to fight Jew-hatred everywhere. This also comes back to the need for effective administrators. If we want to be more effective at fighting the world’s oldest hatred, we need to have the right leadership in place. And we to step it up in the information war. Our enemies, Qatar & Iran chief among them, but other rogue states as well are funding this battle. Antisemites are well funded, well organized, and, even well managed. We need to give our side the same capabilities, the right tools, the most effective leaders.

Economic Diplomacy & Outreach beyond the capitals

Mati Gill:

Part of that change in our diplomacy is to expand our map. There is lot of America between the two coasts. Those are areas where targeted outreach can help us not only diplomatically & geopolitically, but it can help us grow the economy.

We must be bipartisan in this effort. And we must expand where we are doing our outreach. We simply can’t take any region for granted. But it’s a different model than congressional or DC focused outreach and efforts.

We will work to really expand state level diplomacy with governors and statehouses, with state level economic developers, with regional economic organizations, and with research universities. There should be a strong RoI based on strong partnerships in the geopolitical sense, but we also want to see successes, bilateral, trilateral, multilateral, that are impacting economies in the heartland.

What we say for the US is equally true in Europe, including the Baltics, Central Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Diaspora Jewry as real partners, and a focus on Aliyah

Mati Gill:

We need to treat the Diaspora as a strategic partner and not only a political tool. We shouldn’t insult them. We should help them feel a part of the Israeli story even from afar. And, we should do our best to make those that want to join us here, be able to.

Our government will have a goal of at least one million new Olim moving here over a decade. The full plan, like all our plans, are on website, and we have them in English.

But whether as investors, as Olim, or even as advocates, we need to give the Diaspora an Israel it’s proud of. And, an Israel that is proud of them. That celebrates their unique skills.

We need a lower cost of living, we need to grow our economy, and we need to make sure that the Diaspora is welcome here, welcome in our workforce.

Advice for Olim new to a parliamentary ballot (or a parliamentary ballot with so many parties)

Mati Gill:

Olim need to consider, if they are new to this type of voting, three things. First, and most importantly, who do you want as your Prime Minister. Don’t try to guess who will sit with who. Who of the candidates to lead will lead with the same values you have, and who has the vision for Israel that you want for yourself and your children, and, finally, who has the team in place to actually make it happen. Second, remember that no matter your choice for PM, you are voting for a list. Make sure that list is filled with people able to provide competent governance and administration. Finally, avoid voting for any party that might fall below the electoral threshold. If a part is even now in the mid-single digits, history shows they lose steam on Election Day, & many fall beneath the 3.25 percent threshold. Then your vote will go to the parties that you didn’t vote for, and even, to parties you don’t like or approve of.

Despite the problems, Israelis live with hope

Mati Gill:

September 30 was supposed to be an unimaginable tragedy. We were supposed to have hundreds dead, not only from the plane, but casualties also on ground. It is only due to some incredibly brave Israeli passengers & a very brave Indian captain that we avoided that fate.

They didn’t ask to be on that plane. But when a crisis came, they stood and met it together. That’s the same grit and resilience we saw on October 7. And we see it today, in every reservist who leaves a family and a job.

It’s really why I’m running. The Israeli people deserve a government equal to them.

Experience from the private sector, into government

Mati Gill:

There are five things we, looking at Israel now from outside the government in, are sure we must change:

First, we must be more strategic in deploying capital and in attracting capital. We must focus the government’s investments on truly groundbreaking science & innovation. But we must also provide the right incentives to bring more capital here to Israel.

Next, as I mentioned before, we must reverse the brain drain of Israeli talent and bring back scientists, AI leaders, engineers, but also doctors and therapists.

We must also overhaul our education system and improve our pipeline in the STEM space if we want to have economic and technological leadership not just five years into the future but for decades. That was part of our Charedi conversation, but it applies to every education system, and every population here in Israel.

Coming from AION Labs and the Pharma space, we must deregulate our life sciences. We need simplicity. We need quicker and more transparent clinical trials, approvals, and access to data. We need to reinvigorate our traditional allies in the US and Europe in the pharma space. They are natural partners.

Finally, AI above all. It’s not a stretch to say that AI will matter more than nuclear weapons. It matters in tech, but also in drug discovery. And in Quantum computing.

The next government gets one shot at making all this right.