2 right-wing ministers form new party ahead of Israel polls

TEL AVIV, Dec 30: Two right-wing Israeli government ministers on Saturday launched a new party aimed at winning over secular voters ahead of snap elections in April.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said they were quitting the far-right Jewish Home party to found the New Right party.
Nationalist Jewish Home -- of which Bennett was the head and Shaked deputy leader -- has been part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with eight seats in parliament.
The two ministers said at a press conference that their new party aimed to establish equality between religious and non-religious voters "in a real partnership".
Jewish Home, founded in 2013, has been stagnating in opinion polls after failing to attract support from secular Israelis.
The New Right party has a similar platform to Jewish Home, including its opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Bennett said at the press conference that religious Zionist voters were too attached to Netanyahu to abandon him at the election.     -AFP