Channel 14 political commentator Yaakov Bardugo said the new party being formed by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein is driven by personal and political motives, calling it a party of 'disappointed Likud members' that will not pass the electoral threshold. Bardugo predicted the party would draw votes from the left, not the right-wing bloc.
Yaakov Bardugo, a prominent Channel 14 political commentator and vocal supporter of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, predicted earlier today that the new party being formed by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein will not pass the electoral threshold. In a statement, Bardugo characterized the party as a "party of disappointed Likud members" and argued that its votes would come at the expense of the left, not the right-wing bloc. His comments come hours before the party's scheduled launch event today at 19:15 Jerusalem.
The development adds to a rapid sequence of reports on the nascent party. On Wednesday at 16:08 Jerusalem, journalist Amit Segal (N12) reported that Erdan and Edelstein would announce the party, with Edelstein in second place. Later that evening, Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch was reported as a potential future joiner, though she would not attend the launch. The launch event was subsequently confirmed for Thursday at 19:15, and Moshe Kahlon declined to join. Bardugo himself had previously suggested a name for the party on social media on Wednesday, as The Zioneer reported.
The Zioneer has reported extensively on the background to this political move. On July 3-4, Edelstein formally announced his departure from the Likud, citing an inability to justify the party's policies, particularly regarding the mandatory military service law. He outlined a vision for a new political framework aimed at forming a national unity government. The new Erdan-Edelstein party is seen as an attempt to realize that vision, though it has struggled to attract senior figures. Bardugo had previously warned on July 28 that small right-wing parties could cost the right-wing bloc 6-8 mandates.
It remains to be seen whether the party will successfully launch today and whether Bardugo's assessment of its electoral prospects will prove accurate. The party's ability to attract voters and its impact on the right-wing bloc are still uncertain.
7 developments
- StrongAnalysis: Erdan, Edelstein targeting Likud leavers who remained on the right
- DevelopingKan News poll: Erdan-Edelstein-Shaked party passes threshold even with all third-bloc candidates running
- DevelopingGilad Erdan prepares to announce new right-wing party with Edelstein — report
- DevelopingMinister Kisch dismisses Erdan's new party as 'another shattered illusion'
Source and signal
- Open-source intake