Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked assumed the leadership of the New Right party on Sunday, ahead of September's repeat elections. Party co-founder Naftali Bennett said he would be her No. 2.
Bennett and Shaked split from Habayit Hayehudi in December to form their party with the hope of pulling votes away from both Likud and the national-religious Right but the maneuver backfired, and the New Right failed to pass the 3.25% electoral threshold in the April 9 election.
The 3.25% electoral threshold amounts to 140,052 votes. The New Right had won 138,598 ballots, meaning it failed its bid by only 1,454 votes.
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Shaked initially said she was exploring her future in politics, but once the repeat elections were called, she began exploring her options.
A controversial but very popular politician, many said after the elections that had Shaked led the New Right from the start, the party would have been elected to the Knesset.
Bennett and Shaked called a press conference for Sunday evening, ahead of which Bennett tweeted, "The country is more important than personal advancement. The country needs a unified Right."
Addressing a raucous crowd that chanted her name, Shaked called on smaller right-wing parties to unite saying it would be an "insurance policy" that will "preserve Israel's values."
"I call upon the heads of the ideological parties to the right of Likud [to unite]. The differences between us are minor given the challenges that lie ahead," she said
The New Right has expressed interest in teaming up with the more radical United Right, a faction formed ahead of April's elections that comprises Habayit Hayehudi and National Union parties.
Untied Right is headed by Habayit Hayehudi leader Rafi Peretz, with National Union head Bezalel Smotrich as his second.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly summoned Peretz and urged him not to yield the top spot to Shaked in the event of a merger.
Peretz poked fun at Shaked for her long-awaited decision. "I am happy to see that the New Right's people finally came to an understanding. Now is the time for real unity on the Right."
He invited Shaked and Bennett to start negotiations late Sunday night.
Smotrich, for his part, tweeted a warning: "It is looking like Bennett and Shaked still have not learned their lesson. We apparently were mistaken in accommodating their dangerous adventures. Let us be clear: If they repeat their mistake and divide the Right, they will be held accountable for the results. This time they will not be forgiven for toppling a right-wing government and the formation of a left-wing government for personal motives."
