Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister and Benjamin Netanyahu’s prospective rival, was admitted to the Meir Medical Centre in Kfar Saba on Sunday morning after a cardiac incident that occurred during a fitness session. A hospital statement states that Bennett had a catheterisation and is still under medical observation in a stable state.

Only a few weeks have passed since Bennett, 53, hinted at a potential comeback to politics with the health scare. After months of internal research to identify prospective voters, he formed a new political party in early April under the provisional name “Bennett 2026.” Bennett has not yet formally decided whether to run in the next election, according to those close to him, but polling indicates that he has a lot of support. Bennett’s party might win up to 27 Knesset seats, according to a recent Maariv poll, surpassing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, which received 19 seats.

National elections are not scheduled until October 2026, unless the ruling coalition falls. After serving as premier from 2021 to 2022, Bennett has kept a quiet profile ever since.