Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi appears poised to quit Blue and White unless party leader Benny Gantz retires from politics or offers to be his No. 2, the latter option having been raised by several senior party members in recent days.
According to an earlier report in Israel Hayom, as part of efforts to persuade him to join his Israel Resilience party, Gantz promised Ashkenazi the role of successor once he stepped down.
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In recent weeks, Blue and White has been in a state of disintegration following its poor showing in the polls, a recent series of unflattering media reports, and the growing rift between Gantz and his fellow party members, who have criticized the former IDF chief of staff for his lack of leadership. Moreover, numerous party members, including those currently serving as ministers, are weighing their next move and ascertaining alternative parties they can link up with ahead of the 2021 election.
In the coming weeks, Gadi Eizenkot is expected to decide which party he intends to join. There are at least five parties actively pursuing the former IDF chief of staff at this time. Eizenkot is said to be weighing whether to enter politics in the first place when a mandatory cooling-off period will keep him from serving as a minister in the coming months. He may as a result prefer to hold off until the next election campaign.
Members of the Yamina party, which had been poised to present the biggest challenge to Likud in the coming election up until Sa'ar's breakaway move, insisted they were unconcerned by the polls. The party has been trying to differentiate itself from New Hope by saying Sa'ar's party offered Israeli voters "more of the same."
"Gideon Sa'ar's party is a party of politicians: Sa'ar, Elkin, [former Likud MK Yifat] Shasha-Biton, [Derech Eretz party heads Yoav] Hendel, [Zvi] Hauser, and [former Likud MK Michal] Shir. They're all politicians who were recently in the Knesset and the government and failed. The public shouldn't suffice with more politicians, it needs people of action, professionals. [Yamina party head Naftali] Bennett and [Ayelet] Shaked came from the private sector. [Yamina member Bezalel] Smotrich has already proven himself in the Transportation Ministry."
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