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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.
Israeli Defense Minister and Blue and White party chief Benny Gantz and Justice Minister and New Hope party chief Gideon Saar wave during a joint press conference, Ramat Gan, Israel, July 10, 2022.

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.

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