Ayelet Shaked Faces New Setbacks in Political Comeback Ahead of Israeli Elections

Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked continues to encounter significant obstacles in her attempt to re-enter Israeli politics ahead of the upcoming elections. Senior members of the Israel Beytenu party, led by Avigdor Lieberman, have privately confirmed that the party will not include defectors from the Yamina party, including Shaked, on its electoral list. Additionally, efforts to integrate Shaked into the Blue and White party, headed by Benny Gantz, are facing serious internal resistance.

Within Blue and White, a major internal dispute has emerged over negotiations between Gantz and Shaked. During a faction meeting, Knesset members Alon Schuster and Yael Ron Ben-Moshe openly opposed the alliance. Other party figures, including former minister Pnina Tamano-Shata and MK Michael Biton, have expressed deep reservations, although they deny formally opposing the move. The primary concern raised in these discussions centers on Shaked's political loyalty after the elections.

Tamano-Shata specifically questioned how the party could ensure that Shaked would not break away from the faction after entering the Knesset, potentially enabling Benjamin Netanyahu to form a coalition with a slim majority of 61 MKs. This uncertainty casts doubt on Shaked's expected role as the number two candidate on the Blue and White list, complicating her political comeback just two months before the elections.