By GIL HOFFMANHead of the New Right Party Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, 2019.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Former justice minister Ayelet Shaked summoned thousands of her supporters for an announcement on her political furture at Ramat Gan's Kfar Hamaccabiah on Sunday night.Shaked and her political ally Naftali Bennett have agreed to run together again under the New Right banner in the September 17 election and will announce at the press conference that Shaked would head the party. She will call for all the parties to the Right of Likud to run together under her leadership."The state is more important than personal advancement, and the state needs the Right to be united now," Bennett wrote on Twitter.Shaked and Bennett met for two hours in Tel Aviv on Saturday night but only decided on Sunday evening's event on Sunday morning.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned Union of Right-Wing Parties (URP) leader Rafi Peretz to meet Sunday night to plan strategy for responding to Shaked and Bennett. Peretz poked fun at Shaked for her long-awaited decision."I am happy to see that the New Right's people finally decided amongst themselves," Peretz said. "Now is the time for real unity on the Right."Peretz invited Shaked and Bennett to already start negotiations late Sunday night.The URP's Bezalel Smotrich went further, tweeting a warning to Bennett and Shaked.“It is looking like Bennett and Shaked still have not learned their lesson,” Smotrich wrote. “We apparently were mistaken in accommodating their dangerous adventures. We must say clearly: If they repeat their mistake and divide the Right, they will bear responsibility for the results. This time they will not be forgiven for toppling a right-wing government and the formation of a left-wing government for personal motives.”In an interview with KAN, URP MK Moti Yogev said the list must be led by a religious-Zionist candidate and that Bennett needs to be more humble in his demands.
