Israel: Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai announces new party
Avi Nissenkorn joins Huldai's party after leaving Blue and White alliance
Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai unveiled his new party, dubbed "The Israelis," on Tuesday, stepping into the fray ahead of the new elections in March 2021.
At a press conference, Huldai lambasted the current government as dysfunctional, saying Israelis have had to get accustomed to lies and divisive rhetoric.
Lashing out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust -- all denied by the PM -- he lamented the "attacks on Israel's democracy or Supreme Court."
At the event, Avi Nissenkorn, Israel's Justice Minister who quit Blue and White party earlier in the day, said he would be the second-in-command in the new party.
Nissenkorn said that the Israeli justice system was under attack and that the democracy in the country was threatened.
The new party vowed to protect Israel's democratic values and the judicial system, cater to the needs of small businesses and oppose religious coercion.
It also vowed to back women's and minorities' rights, take on the violence rocking the Israeli Arab communities and work to apply Israeli laws to West Bank areas.