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New Right is ‘dying’ as Shaked, Bennett consider bolting

Bennett is navigating his way into the Likud and Shaked has been holding meetings to discuss a return to Jewish Home.

By World Israel News Staff

The leader of the New Right party, MK Ayelet Shaked, is considering quitting the party and returning to her previous home, the Jewish Home party, reports Israel Hayom.

The New Right is “dying,” says the newspaper, as the other party leader, MK Naftali Bennett, is navigating his way into the Likud, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Shaked has been holding meetings “over recent days” in which she has been discussing a return to Jewish Home.

Her plan includes an effort to take over the leadership of Jewish Home, replacing current chairman Rafi Peretz, an MK who serves as education minister in the Netanyahu government, which continues to rule as efforts have failed so far to form a new governing coalition after the September 17 parliamentary election.

It has been a tumultuous short life for New Right, which was first established when Shaked and Bennett announced last December that they were breaking away from Jewish Home.

However, they failed to gain enough votes in April’s Knesset election to enter the Israeli parliament.

When Netanyahu failed to form a new government and a new election was legislated to take place in September, New Right was given new life and the two leaders decided to shake things up.

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Bennett, who had held the top spot, agreed to a demotion to the second position in favor of Shaked.

The party leadership then also agreed to join a consolidated list of right-wing parties, including Jewish Home, and run together in the September election. The list won seven seats.

However, after the new Knesset took office, New Right broke away and was recognized as a separate parliamentary faction.

Shaked is a popular figure among many in the political right, including the Likud, where an effort has been made to court her and she has shown interest.

However, a dramatic change for Shaked is not expected very soon, says Israel Hayom, because both the Likud and Jewish Home have a “qualification” period which would prevent her from joining immediately. Neither Netanyahu nor Peretz is seen as likely to agree to reducing the cooling-off period to allow Shaked to pursue her aspirations in their party.