Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett hospitalised, stable

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Pic/AFP

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and likely challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu was hospitalised on Sunday morning at the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba after experiencing a cardiac episode during a fitness workout. According to a hospital statement, Bennett underwent a catheterisation procedure and is in stable condition under medical supervision.

The health scare comes just weeks after Bennett, 53, signaled a possible return to politics. In early April, he registered a new political party under the provisional name "Bennett 2026", following several months of internal research aimed at identifying potential voters. Sources close to Bennett say a formal decision on whether he will run in the next election has not yet been made, but polling suggests strong support. A recent Maariv survey found that a party led by Bennett could win as many as 27 Knesset seats--outpacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, which polled at 19 seats.

Unless the governing coalition collapses, national elections are not due to be held until October 2026. Bennett, served as premier from 2021 to 2022, has maintained a low public profile since.

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