A New Party? Ardan and Edelstein Are Netanyahu's Last Hope

Gilad Ardan and Yuli Edelstein are expected to announce the formation of a new party this evening. The column argues that the two, who have been cut off from realistic spots in Likud, aim to pass the electoral threshold and join Netanyahu's government, while drawing votes from the change bloc. The author compares to the case of Gideon Sa'ar and warns that voters will not receive full information about their intentions.

The column analyzes the formation of the new party by Gilad Ardan and Yuli Edelstein, which is expected to be announced this evening. The author presents the political background of the two: Ardan, a former Minister of Internal Security, was sent to a post in the US and returned to criticize the government; Edelstein, a former Knesset Speaker and Health Minister, clashed with his party over the draft issue and was removed from the chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Both have lost the chance to be elected in a realistic spot on the Likud list. The column claims that the two aim to pass the electoral threshold to join Netanyahu's government, as they rule out cooperation with Arab parties and with Yair Golan's "Democrats." It compares to the case of Gideon Sa'ar, who turned from an opposition supporter to a Netanyahu supporter in exchange for a position. The author warns that the new party may attract votes from disappointed Netanyahu supporters in the change bloc, and that voters will not receive full information about their intentions.