Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is discussing the possibility of merging the Likud and the New Right into a single Knesset faction, Kan 11 News reported on Wednesday.
The discussions on the matter, Netanyahu's associates said, began shortly after the last election. This may explain why Netanyahu quickly made a phone call to Naftali Bennett following the election, despite tense relations between the two.
Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, the co-leaders of the New Right, are not liked by the Netanyahu family, but it turns out that the Likud actually sees them as an electoral asset.
According to Wednesday’s report, the Likud recently conducted surveys about the possibility of merging with the New Right and received very positive reactions.
It is still unclear whether this is a move aimed at leading to new elections or increasing the power of the Likud. Either way, no agreement has been reached between the parties in the meantime.
The New Right would not comment on the report.