Paradoxically, it was the new Blue and White party of Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid that pushed the Labor Party back to its traditional positions on diplomatic affairs.
It happened almost immediately after the big political explosion caused by the founding of the new party Feb. 21. This merger of center-left parties was the worst possible news that Labor Party Chairman Avi Gabbay could have asked for. And it happened just one day after the announcement that Maj. Gen. Tal Russo had joined Gabbay's party and taken the No. 2 slot on its list.