Alliance with ultra-Orthodox could make Gantz Israeli premier
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Justice Minister Gideon Saar know that if they want to establish the next government, they must partner with the ultra-Orthodox parties, at whatever cost.
An old-new party, which is likely to run in Israel’s upcoming election, could add a certain level of disarray to the established political map, with its clear division into right and left blocs. The party is new because this is the first time it is running. It is old because the new list is actually the result of a July 10 merger between two established parties: Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White and Justice Minister Gideon Saar’s New Hope.
The name for the new party is hardly original. It will be running under the combined name of “Blue and White - New Hope.” What is original is the alarm bells it is setting off among established politicians on both sides of the political divide. Prime Minister Yair Lapid is worried about the new party, but so is opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu on the right.
Netanyahu is the country’s uncontested expert, when it comes to riling up the right-wing bloc against anyone perceived as being a “leftist.” His problem is that he will have a hard time painting Saar and Gantz as such. Meanwhile, the fact that Gantz and Saar are assuming ownership of the “center” forces Lapid to shift closer to the left. Taken together, what this ultimately means is that Lapid and Netanyahu will have a common rival in Gantz and Saar’s new party. It is increasingly reasonable to assume that they will direct a good part of their electoral campaign attacks at it.
But Netanyahu has even more reason to worry. Upon merging his own party with Saar’s, Gantz began polling in the double digits, with 13-14 Knesset seats for the united party. In practical terms this means that Gantz can think seriously about occupying the prime minister’s office.
