Just hours after unexpectedly resigning as chairman of Israel Aerospace Industries, former ambassador and minister Gilad Erdan is already moving ahead with plans for a new political party. According to political commentator Daphne Liel of Channel 12, advanced behind-the-scenes talks have been held over the past day between Erdan, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, and former minister Ayelet Shaked.
The discussions are aimed at examining the creation of a new political platform and a joint run in the next Knesset election. At this stage, the contacts are still described as exploratory and preliminary, and no final decisions have been made about the nature of the alliance, who would lead the slate, or what its core principles would be.
Even so, the very fact that the three senior figures are speaking has attracted significant attention in Israeli politics. All three are identified with the national-liberal camp, and the timing comes amid recent coalition crises over enlistment legislation.
