Netanyahu reported to huddle with political advisers, eyeing Sa’ar

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held at least two meetings with top Likud lieutenants and advisers last week to discuss political maneuverings, Haaretz reports, including prying National Unity minister Gideon Sa’ar away from party head Benny Gantz.

The meetings took place despite Netanyahu insisting that his focus and that of his government remain on defense matters, while bashing any trace of political jockeying as unseemly given the national emergency.

According to the report, Netanyahu and Co. are pleased with hawkish rhetoric from Sa’ar, a former Likud minister, in recent weeks and want to absorb him back into their camp. Sa’ar was pushed out of Likud after challenging Netanyahu for the leadership of the party several years ago.

Netanyahu’s political future was also discussed, according to the report.

The paper says recent messaging from Netanyahu likening the toll of October 7 to that of the Oslo Accords came out of one of these political-planning meetings.

Some commentators have viewed Netanyahu’s statement as an attempt to lessen criticism of his responsibility for the events of October 7. Other reports say Netanyahu’s comments had come in response to Michaeli arguing that only a peace deal and a vision of a two-state solution could resolve the current situation.