Netanyahu and Sa'ar Explore a New Election Pact

With about four months left until the election, Israeli politics is already shifting toward strategic moves for the campaign. One of the most discussed developments involves Likud and Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party, after reports suggested the two political frameworks might separate.

Despite speculation that Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to sacrifice Sa'ar politically, Channel 12 reported that the move is actually coordinated and mutually agreed. Under the reported plan, the parties would run separately at a certain stage and later reunite on a joint list.

The idea is also tied to Netanyahu's dissatisfaction with Likud's current slate. He reportedly believes the existing list does not serve the party well, and a temporary separate framework that later merges back could give him room to add more candidates aligned with him, which is difficult to do now. People in the prime minister's circle see the maneuver as a way to widen his political options before the vote.

At the same time, efforts are continuing to strengthen the coalition bloc through additional moves, including examining whether to bring in candidates from other parties. Netanyahu is also still pursuing talks on a possible link between Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich and Ofer Winter, though political sources say those talks are not easy, partly because of concerns over harming the status and placement of other figures in the bloc. For now, the model under consideration is a temporary split that could later lead to reunification on different terms, with Sa'ar seeking more reserved slots and Netanyahu seeking greater flexibility in building the lists for election day.