In a significant move, Gideon Saar, leader of the New Hope party, on Sunday, rejoined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, just over a week after rejecting an offer to replace Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, according to a report by Times of Israel.
The decision was announced by Saar and Netanyahu in a joint press conference.
Netanyahu expressed his gratitude towards Saar for joining the government and asserted that the “move contributes to the unity among us.”
He said, “I appreciate the fact that Gideon Saar has answered my request and agreed to join the government. This move contributes to the unity among us, and to our unity in the face of our enemies. In discussions in the security cabinet [when he was previously in the government], I was very impressed by Gideon Saar’s broad vision, and his ability to bring creative solutions to complex problems. More than once, we saw eye-to-eye on what steps needed to be taken,” Times of Israel reported.
Meanwhile, Saar emphasised the importance of unity in Israel, stating that it’s crucial to strengthen the country, its government, and its unity at present.
In a rough translation of his post on Facebook, Saar said, “We are living in historic days for Israel. These are decisive days in the campaign against our enemies. At this time it is important to strengthen Israel, its government and its unity. This is the patriotic and right thing to do now. I announced this evening about my joining the government.”
Saar’s decision to join Netanyahu’s government sparked outrage among opposition.
In a rough translation, opposition leader Yair Lapid on X wrote, “We have passed many tests, many more tests await us, it is difficult in the opposition and it is much more difficult to see how the worst government in our history destroys the best in the countries. It is also difficult to see Saar giving up his self-respect and the fact that he is a decent person…”
Notably, Saar has not replaced Gallant for the time being, although Hebrew media reported on Sunday that he and Netanyahu were not ruling out the possibility going forward. Netanyahu is believed to be determined to fire Gallant in the near future.
Saar has entered the government as a minister without portfolio and will be part of the security cabinet. He and his party will have freedom regarding how to vote on some controversial issues, but will not have a veto, Times of Israel reported.
Saar’s political journey took a turn when disputes with Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu led to his departure from politics in 2014. He began his political career in the Likud party, and became one of its most prominent members. However, tensions between the two leaders increased, leading Saar to take a pause from politics.
