Sharren Haskel’s Political Rise and Fall Highlights Risks of Aligning with Gideon Sa’ar

Sharren Haskel’s political journey illustrates a dramatic fall from being a rising star in the Likud party to becoming a marginal figure after aligning with Gideon Sa’ar. Once seen as part of the new wave within Likud, Haskel garnered support from liberals and free-market advocates who sought to refresh the party’s image. However, her decision to side with Sa’ar and leave Likud marked the beginning of her political decline.

The breakup of the Netanyahu-Gantz government about six years ago is often mistakenly attributed solely to Benjamin Netanyahu, but it was actually caused by a small group of Knesset members, including Haskel and Michal Shir, who blocked a budget law in a last-minute parliamentary maneuver known as the "Parking Lot Night." While Shir quickly became a political curiosity and left Likud for Yesh Atid, Haskel initially disappeared from the Likud vote but later joined Sa’ar’s new party, New Hope.

New Hope, founded mainly out of opposition to Netanyahu without a clear ideology, failed to gain traction, securing only six seats and eventually fading into political obscurity. Haskel, who hoped for rapid advancement, found herself a pawn in Sa’ar’s political games. After a few years of decline, she returned to Likud but lacked support from party activists and was unlikely to pass the primaries or secure a safe spot on the list.

Recently, Haskel resigned from her deputy foreign minister role in Sa’ar’s faction, a move seen not as ideological but as recognition that her political prospects were bleak. Her attempts to remain relevant in a party that no longer valued her ended in failure. Political observers suggest she will not return to the Knesset in the next elections, as she has lost electoral influence and alienated her former supporters.

Haskel’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of turning one’s back on core supporters, especially party members, who remember such actions and can effectively end a politician’s career. Her trajectory underscores the volatility of Israeli politics and the risks involved in betting on emerging political figures without a solid base.