From the Liveblog of
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Source says no serious talks yet on forming right-wing Likud alternative
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
While there have been some discussions among right-wing critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on establishing a more “statesmanlike” alternative to the ruling Likud party, there have been no serious negotiations on the matter so far, a source close to the matter tells The Times of Israel.
However, they note, that could soon change.
On Saturday evening, Channel 12 reported that senior right-wing figures, including members of Netanyahu’s coalition, are considering forming a new political party referred to as “Likud B,” which would be “free of extremists” and more in line with the pre-Netanyahu Likud.
According to the unsourced report, the effort involves both current and former Likud figures who have had tensions with Netanyahu, including Likud MK Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who has declined to rejoin Likud alongside the rest of her New Hope party.
Speaking with The Times of Israel this afternoon, a source with knowledge of the talks says they could become serious in the coming weeks and lead to progress in creating a new party, but that there has been little to no advancement on the matter until now.
The source says that this afternoon’s announcement that former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid are establishing a united list for the upcoming elections could serve as a prod to further action by leaders of the moderate right opposed to the current government, especially if the new list proves it can garner increased electoral support.
The Times of Israel Community.