Rumors and reports have been coming in of talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and New Right leader Gide'on Saar working together to get the latter into the government.
But many, especially in the opposition, are befuddled by this decision. Saar famously left Likud after losing a primary to Netanyahu and forming his own faction, which then joined Benny Gantz's party. Sa'ar was known for harshly criticizing many of Netanyahu's actions and repeatedly stating that he is the alternative for the right.
Channel 12 commentator and reporter Amit Segal thinks that the ground is nevertheless fertile for the two to start working together again, giving the following reasons:
Netanyahu desperately needs a Defense Minister who doesn't think he destroyed the country and who shares his views on how much to concede for a hostage deal.
Netanyahu also needs a Defense Minister who will support a new draft law and also remove the effective veto Itamar Ben Gvir has over the government, as at present the government will fall if Ben Gvir withdraws from the coalition. Thus, Saar gives Netanyahu a government until 2026 when elections are set to be held.
Saar meantime would be given the most senior position in the government short of the premiership and political prospects he did not have in the opposition or in the coming elections, as every single poll by every pollster shows his new party not passing the electoral threshold.
Whether or not this is enough to overcome the potential political fallout from firing Yoav Gallant - time will tell.
