“New Hope” is the name of former Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar’s new party, he announced on Thursday, after officially registering the party.
Building settlements deep within the West Bank is part of the priorities New Hope set for its agenda.
“Developing the land, encouraging a spread of population and strengthening the social and geographic periphery; encouraging settlement and agriculture in the Galilee and Negev, in Samaria and Judea, and the eastern corridor from the Golan Heights, along the length of the Jordan River and the Arava towards Eilat,” is one of six points the party released.
Other goals of the party are to “realize the natural and historic rights of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel” and strengthen Israel’s identity as “the state of the Jewish people whose government is democratic.”
New Hope also plans to emphasize a free economy and reforming all parts of government, including law enforcement, the judiciary and the electoral system.
In addition, one of the party’s priorities is education, with the goal of turning Israeli education into one of the top school systems in the world. Sa’ar is a former education minister and his number two, MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, has a PhD in education.
Sa’ar said his party will be “a broad national and social movement that we will build from its foundations for the long term.
“We are embarking on a path of unity and hope that Israel needs so very much. Together, we will bring a better future to Israel,” he said.
The full party name in Hebrew translates to “New Hope – Unity for Israel,” though a spokesperson for Sa’ar said it would just be “New Hope” in English.
Asked if the party took into consideration the fact that “A New Hope” is the title of the first film in the Star Wars series, a spokesperson said someone on staff mentioned it, but it was not seriously discussed.