Former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel announced on Wednesday that she is launching a new right-wing political party called Israel First.
The announcement comes one day after Haskel resigned from her position as deputy foreign minister, citing the passing of controversial legislation that froze the arrests of (ultra-Orthodox) draft evaders as her motivation to leave her position.
“The old political order has, to this day, prioritized sectoral interests over our fighters on the front lines,” Haskel said in a statement regarding the party’s launch.
“We are here to ensure that every person who defines themselves as Zionists, who believes in a security, national, and liberal right-wing and refuses to accept compromises at the expense of those who serve, will now know that they have a political home with Israel First," she added.
Israel First aims to represent those who feel 'politically homeless'
According to Haskel’s press release, the party’s target voters are those who feel “politically homeless” and believe that their opinions are no longer represented in Israel’s current leadership.
The five principles of Israel First are strong security and victory without compromise, a free economy, education for excellence, the expansion of civil liberties, and zionist unity in governance.
The release emphasized that the new party will take “a firm stand for the security and national interests of the State of Israel” while supporting the working middle class and protecting individual freedoms.
Keshet Neev contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.