JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday named two former senior government officials as the first candidates on his new party’s electoral slate ahead of national elections expected by the end of October.

Bennett announced Keren Terner and Liran Avisar Ben Horin as the initial members of the Bennett 2026 list. Both are women who served as director-generals in key ministries.

Terner previously headed the Finance Ministry and Transportation Ministry. She resigned from the Finance Ministry in 2021. Ben Horin served as director-general of the Communications Ministry until her resignation in 2023.

In a joint appearance, Bennett praised the pair for successfully leading “courageous and complicated reforms” during their tenures.

The announcement marks the first public reveal of candidates for Bennett’s party, which has been polling as a significant force in the centrist-right opposition space. Recent surveys show Bennett 2026 trailing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud but competitive within the broader opposition bloc.

Bennett, who briefly served as prime minister in a diverse coalition from 2021 to 2022, has positioned his new party as a competent alternative focused on governance, security and economic stability.

Elections must be held no later than Oct. 31, though they could come earlier if the current coalition collapses.

VINnews will continue to follow developments in the emerging Israeli political landscape.