Israel’s former war minister Moshe Ya’alon announced on Saturday he would run in the next Knesset elections as the leader of a new political party Israeli news outlets reported.
Amid rampant rumors of early elections being called as early as Sunday Ya’alon said he was kicking off his campaign to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under whom he had served as war chief.
“I am ready to lead” the former army chief of staff told Channel 10 news Saturday night. “I am criss-crossing the country and building up a political base.”
Launching a public fundraising campaign Ya’alon wrote on Twitter that he would “very soon” present the party name and its list of candidates.
“You know me you trusted me for many years in the forefront of the security and diplomatic fronts from soldier to chief of staff always leading the forces” he wrote.
“Trust me to lead the country in an honest clean-handed determined and responsible way a leadership that acts for the benefit of the country and not for personal interests a leadership you can count on” he claimed.
“I need you now at my side. I don’t have tycoons for friends. I don’t have my own newspaper. I don’t have my own TV channel. I have you. Your support is very important because only together will we manage to bring an alternative leadership to Israel” he added.
Ya’alon was ousted as “defense” minister in May 2016 by Netanyahu and shortly afterward quit the ruling Likud party and the Israeli parliament (Knesset). He has since frequently criticized Netanyahu and indicated he would return to run against him but Saturday marked the first confirmation of his comeback.
Observers said Ya’alon took profit from the graft probes centered around Netanyahu claiming his new political party would be made up only of honest clean candidates and would try to rid the political system of corruption.
