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.