“Over this last year, we learned that the fringe elements need to point towards the center. Today, we are laying the foundation for the next government,” Gantz continued, saying the new union will help to solve the ongoing political crisis and form a centrist political party.
According to the agreement hammered out between the two sides, Benny Gantz will lead the new united ticket, with Sa’ar taking the second spot, followed by Immigration Minister Penina Tamano-Shatta (Blue and White), Culture and Sport Minister Hili Tropper (Blue and White), Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton (New Hope), Minister in the Defense Ministry Michael Biton (Blue and White), Jerusalem Affairs Minister and Minister for Construction and Housing Ze’ev Elkin (New Hope), with the eighth and ninth slots reserved for Blue and White candidates, followed by two New Hope candidates.
The agreement was inked following polls showing the New Hope party barely crossing the electoral threshold, winning between four to five seats, while the Blue and White faction has held stable at between eight to nine seats in recent polls.
