(israelnationalnews.com) Jewish Home leader and Education Minister Naftali Bennett believes that elections are not yet on the horizon. He estimates that the Netanyahu investigations will not lead to an indictment, but like his coalition colleagues he is also preparing for elections. Bennett has brought forward the internal elections and says he is aiming for leadership.

Bennett believes that before the election his party will gain ground in opinion polls and if Netanyahu will leave politics then the Likud party will shrink dramatically, which will leave the Jewish Home party as the only real alternative on the right. Bennett also believes that Yair Lapid’s candidacy for premier is bad for the State of Israel.

In order to forestall Lapid’s rise in the polls, Bennett intends before the election to merge with the Likud, just as Yisrael Beitenu did in the past. In this way he will be able to gain the premiership via the ruling party.

If Netanyahu will continue to serve in the next election as leader of the Likud, Bennett intends to demand—whether from within the Likud or outside it—the Defense Ministry. In the previous election, Bennett was promised the Defense Ministry but the prime minister reneged on that promise.