The announcement of a reunion between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid under the banner of “Together” brings a not-so-distant memories jolt in Israeli politics, one that recalls the churn and instability of recent election cycles. On the surface, it looks like a classic political maneuver of consolidating a fractured bloc, recreating a past coalition formula, and attempt once more to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu. That reading misses the deeper shift that has taken place in how political power is constructed and exercised.

What appears to be a front-end realignment is better understood as a kind of “system refresh”, a recycling of political forms within a fundamentally transformed environment. The language of unity and partnership may resonate with voters, but the democratic procedure itself will determine success operate far beyond the performance they do best. The contest is no longer ideological or personal now, as it is much more infrastructural and digital. In that sense, this reunion risks repeating the ambitions of the past, but also its limitations.

Modern campaigns are no longer........

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