The move will give the prime minister’s coalition a boost at home as Israel attacks countries in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that his former rival Gideon Saar will join the Israeli cabinet. This is a move to strengthen the coalition government and strengthen its support in the Diet.
The prime minister said on Sunday that the hawkish Mr. Saar would serve as minister without a portfolio.
Saar’s addition to the coalition government will increase his approval rating in Israel’s 120-seat parliament from 64 to 68 seats, weakening the far-right party’s de facto veto power over the cabinet.
The move comes as Israel ramps up its attacks in Lebanon, Gaza and across the Middle East in what appears to be an increasingly widespread regional war.
Mr. Saar has been one of Mr. Netanyahu’s most vocal critics in recent years, but the Israeli prime minister has suggested since the war in Gaza began that the two politicians are on the same page.
“Gideon has accepted my request and agreed to return to the government,” Netanyahu said in a joint statement, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
“During the Security Cabinet discussions, I was deeply impressed by Mr. Searle’s breadth of vision and ability to provide creative solutions to complex problems. It’s no secret that we have had disagreements in the past, but since October 7th, we have both forgotten all our past grievances.
Mr Searle described his decision to join the government as “patriotic and the right thing to do now”.
“At this time, it is extremely important to strengthen the unity and cohesion of Israel, its government, and within itself,” he said.
Earlier this month, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was considering replacing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with Saar. Haaretz and Y-Net also reported that Sa’ar and Netanyahu will jointly select a new Israeli military commander to replace Helj Halevi.
Saar, a former lawyer and journalist, was first brought into politics 20 years ago by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appointed him to his cabinet during his first term in office.
He was seen as a rising star in Netanyahu’s Likud party and one of the few independent voices in the party, which has become almost synonymous with the prime minister and his policies.
Saar left the Likud party after unsuccessfully challenging Netanyahu in the leadership race. In late 2020, Searle founded his own political movement, New Hope.
Expanding his government would likely strengthen Netanyahu and reduce his dependence on other members of the coalition.
