Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein Announce Formation of New Political Party in Israel

On Thursday, Israeli politicians Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein announced the establishment of a new political party. Erdan described the day as one of the hardest in his life due to his departure from the Likud party, stating he can no longer consider Likud his home because its representatives no longer reflect the voters he cares about. He emphasized his commitment to the State of Israel.

Erdan is currently in discussions with several political groups, including the "El Hadagel" movement, which is exploring alliances with other parties, and the "Fourth Quarter" movement. He is also in talks with Aliza Bloch. Previously, Erdan held extensive conversations with notable figures such as Benny Gantz, Dedi Simchi, Ayelet Shaked, and Yuli Edelstein about forming a joint political framework. A recent lengthy meeting among these four ended without a decision, as Shaked and Edelstein indicated they would wait for Erdan's decision.

Earlier this week, sources involved in efforts to unite the so-called "bloc between blocs", a coalition of parties still undecided on alignment, criticized Erdan's statement that he would not agree to include the Democratic Party in any future government. This stance has added complexity to ongoing coalition negotiations in Israel's fragmented political landscape.