Political rival Gideon Sa'ar rejoins coalition government, strengthening Netanyahu’s position against far right

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "New Hope" party leader, Gideon Sa’ar, announced on Sunday evening that Sa'ar would rejoin the coalition government as a minister without a portfolio. 

Sa'ar will join the inner circle of war consultants and join the Israeli Security Cabinet despite his lack of a government portfolio. 

“Gideon Sa’ar has accepted my request to return to the government,” Netanyahu said in a televised announcement on Sunday evening.

“When the war broke out, I acted swiftly to form the broadest, most stable government possible. I greatly appreciated the participation of Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa’ar, and I regretted their departure. For this reason, I welcome Sa’ar’s decision to rejoin us. This move strengthens our unity at home and against our enemies.” 

During the televised announcement, Netanyahu acknowledged their disagreements in the past but said those differences would be put aside for the sake of the war effort. 

“We will work together, side by side, and I plan to rely on him in the key forums managing the war,” Netanyahu stated. 

Sa'ar, himself, acknowledged those disagreements, while also expressing regret for leaving the emergency government earlier this year. 

“When I resigned, I criticized what I saw as stagnation,” Sa’ar said. “It’s clear that an active, assertive approach, from Beirut to Hodeidah, is necessary – something I have always advocated for.” 

“At Netanyahu’s request, I have decided to rejoin the government and bring my experience and capabilities to the decision-making table. It’s the patriotic and right thing to do. I am joining the government without a coalition agreement but with a clear vision and a strong sense of duty to serve our people. While my relationship with the prime minister has seen both close cooperation and political rifts over the years, we have worked together without animosity during this government.” 

For several weeks, rumors in Israeli media claimed that Sa'ar would replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, with whom Netanyahu has had several public disagreements. 

However, shortly before the start of Operation Northern Arrows, Sa'ar announced that he would not accept the position of defense minister, stating that with the IDF shifting focus to the north, the time was not right to make such a change.

Sa'ar has a complicated history with Netanyahu. He was previously a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, where he was seen as a rising star and possible challenger to Netanyahu. However, after pushing for a runoff in party elections in 2019, Sa'ar lost, being soundly defeated by Netanyahu. 

Shortly afterward, Sa'ar left Likud to form his own New Hope party, which was able to win six seats in the following election, and Sa'ar then became Justice Minister under Netanyahu. 

During the November 2022 elections, New Hope formed a joint list with Benny Gantz’s "Blue & White" party to create the "National Unity" party. 

In March of this year, Sa'ar split from National Unity over his demand to join the War Cabinet, which was rebuffed by both Netanyahu and Gantz. After breaking with National Unity, Sa'ar decided to leave the emergency government formed after the start of the Gaza War last October. 

Gantz, who advocated a closer relationship with the Biden administration, and who often sided with U.S President Joe Biden’s stance on the war, left the government in June, saying that only new elections would bring a necessary change in leadership to allow Israel to win the war. 

Shortly after Gantz’s departure from the Israeli government, rumors began that Sa'ar and Netanyahu were conducting discussions over Sa'ar’s rejoining the coalition government with his New Hope party. 

Due to the sometimes-public friction between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant, much of the speculation focused on Sa'ar replacing Gallant as Defense Minister, as both Sa'ar and Netanyahu have advocated similarly hawkish defense positions. 

However, a little over one week ago, Sa'ar publicly admitted that Netanyahu had offered him the position of defense minister, something Netanyahu had denied, while also publicly declining to accept the role amid increased operational activity in Lebanon. 

With this reversal of course, Sa'ar and Netanyahu have accomplished several political objectives at once. 

Firstly, Sa'ar’s presence stands as a visible warning to Gallant that he can be replaced at any moment. Sa'ar and Gallant both have defense views compatible with Netanyahu, thus, Gallant’s willingness to challenge Netanyahu on other issues, such as hostage negotiation terms or judicial reform attempts, will now only risk Gallant’s tenure. 

Secondly, Sa'ar’s joining the government, with his party’s four seats, brings the coalition government to 68 out of the Knesset’s 120, strengthening Netanyahu’s ability to handle disagreements within the coalition without risking collapse, including debates over the controversial ultra-Orthodox draft law. 

Political analysts in Israel believe this will give Netanyahu the ability to resist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s attempts to pressure the the prime minister with threats to withhold votes on key legislation. 

Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power party has already refrained from voting a few times in an attempt to influence Netanyahu’s decisions. 

While the addition of Sa'ar to the government could lead to a softening of Ben Gvir’s influence, the two share a similar hawkish stance on several areas related to the war against Hamas and Hezbollah. 

Ben Gvir congratulated Sa'ar following the announcement.

“I congratulate MK Gideon Sa’ar, on joining the coalition and the government. This is the right and responsible step to take now. His extensive experience will be a valuable asset that will help to continue the victory and achieve the [war] goals. Welcome, Gideon,” Ben Gvir wrote on 𝕏. 

Finally, the addition of Sa'ar and his New Hope party to the coalition strengthens its standing, and will likely allow Netanyahu to remain in power until the next scheduled elections in October 2026. This removal of internal pressure brings Netanyahu to a firmer political footing and allows him to focus most of his attention on the war effort without the fear of a coalition collapse.

This is ultimately good news in the short term for Israel, as the nation needs a stable political echelon focused on addressing the threats posed by Hamas and Hezbollah.

The next elections should allow Israelis the chance to render their judgment of how well that was accomplished.