Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on Tuesday launched a new Right-wing party ahead of the upcoming elections, alongside MK Yuli Edelstein, who recently departed from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.
Erdan said in May that he was working toward establishing a new right-wing party said and that he sees himself as a candidate for premier in a post-Netanyahu era.
Working toward a 'government of national reconciliation'
Erdan had said he is trying to establish a right-wing party that “would not rely on extremists” in a May interview with Army Radio.
He said he was working toward a “government of national reconciliation.”
“There are hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have no alternative who do not want a coalition that relies on extremist sides,” he added.
Erdan served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations for four years, from 2020 to 2024. He previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US.
He was a member of the Knesset for Likud for years and held several ministerial positions under Netanyahu.
Erdan’s ministerial record covers a wide range of portfolios: environmental protection minister, communications minister, interior minister, public security minister, strategic affairs minister, public diplomacy minister, and regional cooperation minister.
Edelstein left Likud after ongoing tensions
Throughout the government's term, Edelstein has been a vocal critic of the contentious haredi-backed legislation advanced by Netanyahu’s coalition, which critics argued would encourage draft evasion amid the IDF’s severe manpower shortage.
He left Likud last month after ongoing tensions with the party.
Edelstein had also been ousted from his position as chairperson of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee after tensions with the Likud over the conscription law he was attempting to pass to increase haredi enlistment.
The party launch came after reports that senior figures on Israel’s political Right were holding talks on forming a new “statesmanlike” right-wing party, informally referred to as “Likud B.” Erdan has served in various ministerial roles under Netanyahu for years as a member of Likud.
Reports have noted that the goal of the party is to help create a broad government without extremist parties, amid polls showing no decisive shift between Israel’s political blocs.
Other reports have stated the party would not be committed in advance either to Netanyahu’s bloc or to a potential alliance led by rival candidates in the upcoming elections, former prime minister Naftali Bennett or Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot.