In a dramatic political move, New Hope party chairman Gideon Sa'ar announced this evening (Tuesday) that he is breaking from the National Unity party and demanding to join the War Cabinet.
At a conference of New Hope activists, Sa'ar said that he felt that his party's voice was not being heard within the framework of the National Unity party. "I see it as our role in the emergency government to make sure that despite all the difficulties and pressures, including the international ones - we will conduct the war in Gaza to its conclusion. To the end. 'And we will not return until it is finished'. This is a war that will determine our future in this country, the future of our children and grandchildren. We must be determined to achieve its goals: the destruction of the military and governmental infrastructure of Hamas and the return of our abducted brothers and sisters."
"For a long time, my friends and I have not hidden our criticism of the navigation of the campaign by the limited cabinet. There must be no connection between the goals set and the measures taken to achieve them. We must not reduce the military pressure and slow down the progress in destroying Hamas' forces and its rule. We must not allow Hamas to take over humanitarian aid." Sa'ar added.
He stated "I respect my friends, the representatives of the National Unity party in the War Cabinet, but unfortunately they do not express the voice, the positions, and the emphases that I would bring there. Therefore, on your behalf, I express here our demand to join the War Cabinet and be part of the influence on the policy."
Minister Sa'ar also announced his decision and the decision of the MKs of the party to end the partnership with Minister Benny Gantz's Blue and White party and their appeal to the chairman of a committee in the Knesset in order to immediately re-establish the New Hope faction in the Knesset as an independent faction.
"I thank Benny [Gantz] and Gadi [Eisenkot] and the other members for the period of our joint list and believe that there will be days when we will cooperate in the future as two separate political frameworks. From this moment on, I intend to act with additional political strength that will lead to the formation of an alternative, and I emphasize an alternative of a strong political force of the Israeli right, as the general public desires," he concluded.