Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein announced Thursday evening that they are jointly forming a new political party, according to reports. Erdan said the Likud 'does not represent the voters' and that he 'can no longer call it home.' The move follows their respective departures from Likud in recent weeks.
Former Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan and former Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein jointly announced Thursday evening the formation of a new political party, according to Israeli media reports. Erdan stated that the Likud "does not represent the voters" and that he "can no longer call it home." The announcement, made at 18:31 Jerusalem, consolidates two separate political tracks that had been developing over the past weeks.
The Zioneer reported at 18:31 Jerusalem that Erdan had initially announced a new right-wing party, vowing not to join any narrow coalition. Minutes later, The Zioneer updated to report that Edelstein had joined the party, with Erdan vowing to form a broad Zionist government. Earlier on Thursday, at 08:07 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that political commentator Yaakov Bardugo predicted the joint party would not pass the electoral threshold, calling it a party of "disappointed Likud members" that would draw votes from the left.
As The Zioneer reported on July 3, Edelstein announced his departure from Likud, telling N12 he could no longer justify the party's policies and intended to promote a national unity government. On July 4, he confirmed his departure on "Meet the Press" and outlined a new political path, citing military draft policy as a breaking point.
The new party's name and platform have not yet been announced. The electoral viability of the joint venture remains unclear, with political analysts diverging on its potential impact on the right-wing bloc.
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