Today’s main election bombshell is the surprising announcement by Eli Gabbai, chairman of the Machane Tzioni party. Gabbai, in an unannounced move, dissolved the agreement with Tzipi Livni and her The Movement (התנועה) party without discussing it with her in advance, making his announcement as she sat among participants in the media event, appearing visibly and understandably startled. He wished Livni, the Opposition Leader in Knesset, much success wherever her next stop will be.

Machane Tzioni is composed of the former Labor party and The Movement, party, formed prior to the 2015 elections by then Machane Tzioni leader Yitzchak Herzog and Livni. Gabbai is not a MK since he resigned the Kulanu party in this Knesset, along with his cabinet post. in protest over the appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as Defense Minister. Hence, Livni assumed the Opposition Leader role in his place. He explained he entered politics instead of continuing to earn millions, believing he could impact change, but recent polls have signaled him that change is required as the partnership did not lead to victory and now it was time for change. He feels today, the two parties are struggling for common ground and this would only damage the party internally. He accuses Livni of undermining him and his party.

**Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu and Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beitenu announced this morning they do not plan to cut any deal to partner with Likud in the upcoming election. This undermines efforts by PM Netanyahu to create a united right-wing bloc.

**Reshet Bet: Former IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General (reserves) Rafi Peretz has been approached by Naftali Bennet to join his New Right party.

**Veteran Hadash MK Dov Khenin announced he will not run for reelection. He has served in Knesset since 2006.

**Nissim Slomiansky has been elected as the new chairman of Bayit Yehudi after Shuli Muallem left the party along with Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked, as they launched the New Right party. This led to an audible protest, and the appointment of Slomiansky was canceled before Knesset Speaker Edelstein was notified that he is the new chairman.

Galant Defects To Likud & Becomes Minister Of Absorption

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on Monday night signed off on Minister Yoav Galant’s resignation from Knesset, as he broke away from his Kulanu party to shift to Likud, where he will compete in the party’s primaries. The move spells another success for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, as Galant is a retired IDF major-general and a former Deputy IDF Chief of Staff, bringing another security expect onboard, replacing former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who resigned over disagreement with PM Netanyahu in 2016.

Galant met with Kulanu party leader Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon prior to leaving, and according to the official statement, his departure from the party follows agreement by Kahlon. Kahlon praised Galant’s accomplishments as a Kulanu party Housing Minister, how he published tenders including the 130,000 affordable housing units priced for young couples, to permit them to purchase their first apartment.

In his letter of resignation, Galant stated that in the past years, he merited serving the people of Israel as a minister, following 35 years in the military. “I view myself continuing to contribute in the sphere in which I spent most of my life, security”, he added.

Galant thanked Kahlon and his colleagues from Kulanu.

PM Netanyahu will poll his cabinet ministers, and he will appoint Galant as Minister of Absorption, thereby permitting him to continue serving on the Political-Security Cabinet.

A day earlier, former Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Dr. Michael Oren, announced he does not plan to run on the Kulanu ticket in the next elections, leaving Kahlon without two key personalities on his roster. MK Rachel Azariya has also announced she is taking leave of Kulanu.

Smotrich Reveals Details Of Meeting Between Bennet & Dati Leumi Rabbonim

MK Betzalel Smotrich on Monday evening announced he was aware of Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked’s planned break from Bayit Yehudi in advance to launch the New Right party.

According to a Chadashot News report released by Yair Shariki, Bennet and Shaked notified Smotrich of their planned break two days in advance, and religious news editors were invited to participate in a meeting on Thursday to discuss matters with Rabbi Chaim Druckman during which Smotrich objected to their planned move.

Smotrich explains that he was summoned by Rabbi Druckman to express his opinion, and he objected, citing the move would result in destroying the religious Zionist camp, and the establishment of the new right-wing party would endanger the future of the right-wing bloc in Knesset.

He adds that following that meeting, he understood the two have decided to cancel the planned break, and this is why he was so surprised on motzei Shabbos, when the two announced the establishment of the New Right party during the press conference.

Smotrich added that “unlike Bennet and Shaked, who abandoned and bailed out, we will continue on the path, upholding the values of the dati leumi nationalist camp towards combating terror without compromise, the strengthening of settlements and the preservation of the Jewish identity of the state.”

Uri Ariel Attacks The Conduct Of Both Bennet And Shaked

Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel, who currently heads the Ichud Leumi faction in Bayit Yehudi, joined the growing list of party members condemning Ministers Naftali Bennet and Ayelet Shaked for breaking away to launch the New Right party, leaving Bayit Yehudi with a NIS 22 million debt.

Ariel told the media, “I was surprised by the timing despite the rumors of a planned break. I understood it was happening via the press conference. Bennet phoned me an hour earlier to update me. The matter is ridiculous and not worthy of a response”.

He called their decision to make the break from the party secretly, at night, “crooked and screwed up”.

Regarding his bid for the party leadership against MK Betzalel Smotrich, he announces this is his last term, calling on Smotrich to sit back and wait a bit before trying to take control of the party. he feels that as the senior man, he is entitled to this.

A recent poll by the Srugim website shows Bayit Yehudi voters prefer Smotrich to run the party, earning 60% of the vote, as compared to Ariel with a mere 6%.

If Ariel is not elected to head the party, he signals he will retire from Knesset after 17 years of service. Should he succeed, he has set his eyes on the Finance Ministry portfolio in the next administration, to replace Moshe Kahlon.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)