New Knesset Party Emerges to Support Judea & Samaria
On Sunday, Idan Roll, a high-ranking Member of Knesset for the left-wing Yesh Atid Party, announced on Twitter that he is leaving the party to form a new party. Roll has been making public statements since October 7th, which appear to place him outside of the left-wing opposition views of the party led by Yair Lapid.
“October 7th was a double wake-up call for us,” Roll tweeted. “For the first time, we awoke to a war of survival, which revealed in our people tremendous strength and a willingness to sacrifice and give in defense of our common home. For the second time, we awoke to the recognition of the common identity that binds us together, and that our common interest in the existence of the state is stronger than anything that separated us.
Roll criticized the government at large and called for new leadership.
“The large and courageous public that rose up on October 7 to fight for the country and restore it must also take its place in the national leadership. But for this to happen, we must open the closed club of the Knesset and ensure that the State of Israel does not miss a historic opportunity for change.
“This morning, I informed the chairman of the Yesh Atid faction, MK Yair Lapid, of my resignation from the party and my departure for an independent path. I will continue to serve the public as a constructive opposition and work to open the gates of the Knesset for political and ideological renewal. I thank Lapid for the shared path and the privilege of serving the country alongside him as Deputy Foreign Minister and as a member of Knesset. Yesh Atid was a political home for me and I am full of appreciation for my members of the faction, the party leadership, and the dedicated activists.”
Hebrew media reported that Roll’s new faction will be called National Majority.
The Yesh Atid Party criticized Roll for not relinquishing his seat, thereby lessening the party’s voting power in the Knesset, saying the MK “decided to take a parliament seat that isn’t his.” The party claimed his decision to leave the party was because they had decided to remove him from the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee due to “dysfunction.”
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, head of Israel365, praised Roll.
“MK Idan Roll has made a historic decision, leaving Yesh Atid to establish a new party in the Knesset,” Rabbi Weisz posted on Instagram. “ His reason? He now understands that the safety and security of Tel Aviv depends on the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
“This is a significant moment, and we at Israel365 Action applaud MK Roll’s courage and clarity. As we’ve consistently maintained, the safety, security, and sovereignty of Israel are inextricably linked to Judea and Samaria.
“We hope this bold step inspires other Knesset members to recognise the vital role of Jewish communities in our nation’s future. Join us, Israel365 Action, in our mission to support Judea and Samaria! Your support in the World Zionist Congress elections will make a real difference!”
Roll made waves in 2021 by taking a strong pro-Judea and Samaria position while as Deputy Foreign Minister, he canceled meetings with Belgian officials after the country decided to place consumer labels on products made by Jewish-owned companies located in the Biblical heartland. The label stated that the products were not made in Israel.
“The Belgian government’s decision to label products from Judea [and] Samaria strengthens extremists, does not help promote peace in the region, and shows Belgium as not contributing to regional stability,” Roll stated.
Yesh Atid has endorsed reentering peace negotiations with the Palestinians and halting further construction in Israeli settlements. Roll has broken ranks with his former party, opposing the creation of an unprecedented militarized Palestinian state inside of Israel’s borders. Roll also supported a bill outlawing UNRWA.
Members of the Likud Party praised Roll.
“Another defector from the One Man Party – Yair Lapid, who is crashing in the polls and losing his friends,” Shlomo Karhi tweeted. “Yesh Atid members, wake up – there is no future in a dictatorial party. Idan understood this – who is next? Idan, the door is open to joining a coalition that truly cares about the people of Israel.”
Last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar led his right-wing New Hope Party into the coalition led by Likud, lowering the opposition’s representation from 56 to 52 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. Should Roll join the coalition or form a party that joins the coalition, that will further weaken the left-wing opposition and help solidify the right wing. Should the Knesset House Committee make Roll’s departure from Yesh Atid official, he will be forbidden by law from running in the next election under any party currently in the Knesset.
Roll, a former model openly gay who adopted two children with his partner, was made Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Lapid-Bennett government as a ploy to curry favor with the Biden administration.
Since October 7, Roll has been vocally opposed to allowing the Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza, putting him at odds with the party leader, Lapid, as well as with the Biden administration.
The post New Knesset Party Emerges to Support Judea & Samaria appeared first on Israel365 News.
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