Michael Eitan
Michael EitanFlash 90

Former Minister Michael Eitan, who served for about 30 years as a Member of Knesset and Minister on behalf of the Likud Party, announced on Thursday that he supports Gideon Sa’ar and his New Hope party.

In a post on Facebook, Eitan wrote, "I call on everyone who believes in the true Likud, everyone who believes in national-state values ​​to vote for New Hope led by Gideon Sa’ar. Gideon Sa’ar represents public courage and clean hands. He proved it when he stood up and fought to get the Likud back on track."

"I realized that the Likud in the Netanyahu era no longer represents the national-liberal values ​​on which I grew up and according to which I acted throughout my public life. The splendor and modesty of Jabotinsky and Begin have been replaced by power, honor and money," he added.

"In recent years, Netanyahu has systematically incited and attacked the rule of law, weakened the gatekeepers (media, investigation and enforcement system, judicial and audit system), made alliances with narrow and sectoral stakeholders at the expense of broad national interests," charged Eitan.

"Netanyahu, who wants to get his trial to be cancelled, is taking divisive steps and has divided the people. Everything has become kosher in his eyes for the sake of escaping the law. He even turned the pupils of Kahana into legitimate partners and at the same time, he is courting his old friends and new partners from the Ra'am faction with extremist Islamist ideology. And all this for what? In order to enable the survival of the leader, i.e. Netanyahu. Anyone who does not bend over backwards in support of these principles is branded a traitor and accused of being an enemy."

Eitan also wrote, "Today Netanyahu is the Likud and the Likud is Netanyahu. Netanyahu took over what was a glorious party and turned it into a party of loyalists to the leader. Unfortunately, Netanyahu succeeded in doing so, thanks in part to the Likud leadership's silence and the legitimacy it gave him. Legitimate and lively disagreements have disappeared, and have been replaced by declarations of allegiance to the ruling family."

"That is it, the red lines have been crossed, and it is time for a change. We need a leader who can mend the rifts and rebuild what the Likud represented and the national consensus. Unfortunately, this will not happen with the Netanyahu party. A vote for Likud is a vote that supports castration of the rule of law and deals a fatal blow to the democratic system," Eitan concluded.

Sa’ar said in response, "It is a great honor for me and for New Hope to receive tonight the support of former Minister Michael Eitan, one of the Likud's brightest parliamentarians for decades and a symbol of public honesty and integrity."