Denouncing extremist elements, Gantz told a news conference that the two parties would set out to create a “responsible, realistic, secure and liberal” government. Such a coalition, he said, “will say no to racism, no to extremism and yes to unity for all parts of the country and all types of citizens… ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, secular. Muslims, Christians, Druze and Jews”. “Israel deserves better,” Gantz said, adding that voters “shouldn’t choose from the extremes” but instead deserve a reasonable, central choice. This was likely a reference to parties such as the predominantly Arab Joint List or far-right Religious Zionism, led by Bezalel Smotrich, and including Itamar Ben Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction within the party. Ben Gvir entered the Knesset in the March 2021 elections after Otzma Yehudit merged with Religious Zionism, in a deal brokered by then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to shore up right-wing votes. For too long, Gantz said, Netanyahu has dragged the Likud party into positions that undermine national unity and damage Israel’s democratic principles. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms “We are laying the cornerstone for the next administration,” Gantz said. He invited other groups “who agree with our values” to join their union. His goal, he said, is to unite “all those who support a Jewish, democratic, secure Israel.” Justice Minister Gideon Saar and Defense Secretary Benny Gantz hold a news conference announcing the merger of their parties, July 10, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90) Gantz said he thinks the joint plan might appeal to “a lot of people on the state right” who are looking for a political home. “Since I entered politics, I have repeatedly said that we are in an absurd and unprecedented situation,” Gantz said of the ongoing political impasse, calling it the “biggest democratic and political crisis in [Israel’s] history.” The November 1 election in Israel will be the country’s fifth national election since 2019. An unsourced report Sunday by Channel 12 news said Gantz and Sa’ar had decided their party would not enter a government with Netanyahu, but while Gantz denounced the Likud leader, neither he nor Sa’ar ‘ar they expressly excluded him as a possible partner. in the next coalition. In his speech on Sunday, Grant praised the outgoing multi-party coalition led until last month by Naftali Bennett, but said some members on its fringes had pulled him off course. Bennett’s unlikely alliance of right-wing, center-left and Islamist parties lasted about a year before falling apart, ultimately halted by the vocal departure of key lawmakers from Bennett’s Yamina party. Then-outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, right, and his interim successor Yair Lapid speak after passing a bill to dissolve the Knesset, June 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Speaking after Gantz, Sa’ar said Israel “needs a new hope and a way out of this crisis.” He said he and Gantz have dedicated their lives to the state of Israel and agreed to join forces to create a “broad, patriotic, center-right” electoral platform. Sa’ar also said Gantz — who will top the merged party — is the ideal candidate to lead the next government. Blue and White currently holds 8 seats in the 120-member Knesset. New Hope has 6. In recent polls, which are not necessarily reliable, Blue and White is projected to take about 8-9 seats and New Hope 4-5. Prime Minister Yair Lapid welcomed the news, saying he believed in the good intentions of Gantz and Sa’ar. “I wish Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa’ar the best of luck,” Lapid tweeted. “I am convinced that your intentions are good. I look forward to continuing to work with you on behalf of the citizens of Israel.” Prime Minister Yair Lapid leads a cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem on July 10, 2022. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL) Lapid’s Yesh Atid ran alongside Gantz’s Blue and White in the elections of April 2019, September 2019 and March 2020. Gantz then decided to join a coalition led by Netanyahu, causing the parties to split. Since then they have been separated. For their joint plan, Gantz and Sa’ar reportedly hope to attract former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, who is also heavily courted by Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and is seen as an important catch for both parties due to of his high public profile and general popularity. Eisenkot would take third place if he chose to run with a combined Blue and White-New Hope faction, according to Jewish media reports. Eisenkot, who served as army chief from 2015 to 2019, is believed to have the ability to bring in voters from both the left and the right. The retired general was one of the most sought-after figures during the March 2021 election cycle, with his name linked in reports to various parties, but ultimately decided not to run. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, right, is interviewed by Amos Yadlin at the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv on January 27, 2019. (INSS) The remaining seats at the top of the joint slate will be held by Immigration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White), Culture Minister Chili Tropper (Blue and White), Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton (New Hope), Knesset Finance Committee head Michael Biton (Blue and White) and Housing Minister Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope), according to reports. Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel and MK Zvi Hauser, whose Derech Eretz party joined New Hope after breaking away from a Blue and White alliance, are not likely to have places on the list, although it was unclear which side had received this reported decision. Handel is reportedly in talks with Yamina’s new leader, Ayelet Shaked, to join forces, according to public broadcaster Kan. Communications Minister Yoaz Henkell in Modi’in, December 5, 2021. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90) In a Facebook post earlier Sunday, Handel said he has no regrets about his time in office and believes he stood by his principles. “I will work hard to ensure that the votes for the politician-like right have a respectable representation in the next Knesset,” he wrote. “I promise to let you know soon.”
