Yuli Edelstein leaves Likud, expects to start new right-wing political party

After more than 20 years with Likud, MK Yuli Edelstein will be leaving the party this month.“That is a very difficult sentence to say,” he said in a Friday press conference. “There are also those friends who at this moment are hearing what I am saying in surprise and saying, 'What is Yuli doing?! We supported him for decades, we would have supported him this time too, why is he doing this?'”Notably, Edelstein is expected to vote against legislation being advanced by the coalition as part of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties' deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Afterward, he is expected to set out on a new political path – apparently alongside figures such as Gilad Erdan and Ayelet Shaked, should they run as expected.Yuli Edelstein set to form new political party with familiar namesAmong the other names being considered for the party are attorney Shvut Raanan, who left Yoaz Hendel's Reservists Party, and Davidi Ben Zion, deputy head of the Samaria Regional Council.A source familiar with the details said this new party's official launch is expected to take place after Tisha Be'av, in about three weeks.The rift between Edelstein and Likud has reportedly deepened in recent months over the haredi enlistment bill.As chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Edelstein refused to advance an enlistment bill that would not include significant enlistment targets, as well as personal and institutional sanctions.That position put him in direct confrontation with the haredi parties and the Prime Minister's Office.The political crisis surrounding the bill ultimately led to his removal as committee chairman after most of the Likud faction voted to replace him.Edelstein's departure is among the most significant by a senior party figure in recent years.It also signals an effort to establish a new political party for statesmanlike right-wing figures who no longer see their future in the current Likud.