Foreign Minister and New Hope Party chairman Gideon Sa'ar admits that he was wrong when he joined the members of the National Unity Party when they resigned from the emergency government during the war.
In an interview with the Maariv newspaper, Sa'ar said, "It may have been a mistake, but at that point I felt there was little movement, on the issues of both Gaza and Lebanon, and also because I had no influence because the war was being conducted by a small cabinet. That's why we resigned last March."
He also explained his decision to return to the government. "Returning to the government in September was based on two things: the changed policy, and the understanding that I would have some influence in the smallest forums. I had long and discreet conversations with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that were not published in the media, in which we talked about the war and came to the conclusion that in this context we see things eye to eye. At the current time, I and other political leaders should not be in the grandstands but rather trying to influence and help the State of Israel and the people of Israel. That's what I'm trying to do."
On his relationship with Netanyahu, he said, "Our relationship is very good. We meet often, talk often, I'm involved and well-informed. Netanyahu is the Prime Minister, he was elected by the people. When I look at the options today, I can say with clarity, that Netanyahu is a much better leader, with all the criticism I've had of him, than [Benny] Gantz or [Yair] Lapid. That's my inner truth and I can't tell myself a different story."