Likud Denies Offering Gilad Erdan Safe Seat Amid New Party Launch and Accusations

Following the announcement by former senior Likud members Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein about forming a new political party, the ruling Likud party launched a series of statements against them on August 9, 2026. The dispute intensified after Erdan revealed in an interview on "Meet the Press" that he was recently offered a protected spot on the Likud list, which he rejected outright. Likud quickly denied this claim, stating that Prime Minister Netanyahu did not offer Erdan any such arrangement, directly or indirectly.

Likud further accused Erdan and Edelstein of being "bitter fake right-wingers" attempting to steal votes and transfer them to a "deceptive left-wing government" led by Benny Gantz, with support from figures like Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and the Muslim Brotherhood. In response, Erdan condemned the ruling party, accusing it of perpetuating evasion and abandoning the families of soldiers and service members. He also recalled their past fight against the evacuation of Gush Katif, blaming current Likud leadership for supporting that move.

Edelstein, who recently left Likud, stated his support for establishing a broad Zionist government, emphasizing that the public will decide its leadership. Regarding the rejected safe seat offer, Erdan said he is not interested in being a second-in-command or subordinate to any party leader. He stressed his understanding of what right-wing Israelis want today and called for broad consensus on judicial reforms.

Erdan outlined his political vision of creating a wide-ranging government capable of uniting different factions, including ultra-Orthodox and Arab citizens, to address major national challenges. He warned that a narrow government from either right or left would fail to mobilize necessary support or tackle issues like labor strikes, calling for unity as a matter of survival.