Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (left) and Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid gesture as they announce their political union ahead of this year's general election, in Herzliya, Israel, on Sunday. | REUTERS

Jerusalem –

Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most formidable political rivals said on Sunday they were joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the upcoming election expected later this year.

The former prime ministers — right-leaning Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid — issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, ​Bennett 2026 and There is a Future.

"We are standing here together for the sake of our children. The State of Israel ‌must change ‌direction," Lapid said, standing alongside Bennett at a joint news conference.

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