Israel Elections: Shaked, Hendel announce joint run as 'Zionist Spirit'
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked will lead the faction with Hendel and Hauser placed in the number two and four slots, respectively.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s Yamina Party and Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel’s Derech Eretz Party will run together in the upcoming Knesset election under the new name “Haruach HaTzionit” (The Zionist Spirit), the two announced on Wednesday evening.
The merger marks the end of over two weeks of speculation which began after Hendel and Hauser were left out of the merger between Blue and White and New Hope on July 10.
The two spoke about the schism in Israeli society and instability of the system, and repeated what many party leaders have already said: What the country needs is a broad, stable government.
“The coming generations will have a hard time understanding how the start-up nation arrived at this situation – political polarization that like a snowball became the number one cause for the political instability in Israel.”
“Every group is fighting a fight to the death in order to delegitimize the other side.”
“The coming election is a critical junction for the state of Israel, as each bloc strives to form a narrow government that will deepen on extreme elements,” she said.
Shaked praised Hendel, calling him a “go-getter” with many accomplishments in the government as Communications Minister.
Shaked's regrets, Hendel's ambitions
She also spoke briefly about the lessons she learned during the past year.
While the former government was necessary at the time, “in hindsight the move did not work and a narrow government cannot create political stability.”
Another lesson was that “Israel cannot depend on an Arab party,” and that “the Zionist enterprise cannot be dependent on votes of representatives of the Arab sector in Israel.”
“Something was missing – and it was a nationalist and Zionist spirit,” Shaked added.
Shaked noticeably did not mention opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu. She also mentioned the need for a “Jewish and sovereign state,” a noticeable phrase that differed from the oft-used “Jewish and democratic state.”
Hendel in his speech was more direct. He repeated Shaked’s point about the need for stability but added specifics.
“We are determinedly against a narrow government [led] by Netanyahu which will only deal with whatever is good for him. We are determinedly against a left-wing narrow government with the Joint List and extreme elements,” he said.
Each extreme was untenable, Hendel argued, since one side with Otzma Yehudit’s Itamar Ben-Gvir will fire the attorney-general and halt Netanyahu’s trial, while the other will be forced to make concessions to the Joint List or continue on with the election cycle.
“We have had enough,” he said.
“In Israel, there is a statesmanlike Right. We will not be forced to choose between the Center-Left and the ‘only Bibi’ camp.”
“We will force stability,” he stressed.
The only way forward is a unity government between the Likud and the Center-Left, Hendel argued. He did not say whether in such a scenario he would be willing to sit under Netanyahu as prime minister.
Hendel explicitly said that he wants to be the next public security minister to make Israel safer. He also stressed the high cost of living as a priority for the new party.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-713265