Brig.-Gen. (res.) Dedi Simchi said Tuesday that the new political body he formed with Benny Gantz would seek to build a broad Zionist government, bridge divisions in Israeli society and expand enlistment across all sectors.
“We are finalizing the last details of establishing this new entity. We are in advanced talks to bring in additional leaders, and it will happen. We intend to build it properly and build it well,” Simchi promised in an interview with 103FM on Tuesday.
Asked whether MK Chili Tropper might join the organization, Simchi said: “Chili is someone who understands, but there is undoubtedly a complication here because of the whole situation involving Chili and Benny.”
Simchi also rejected claims that a vote for his party would effectively amount to a vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Some people make that claim, while others claim it will only hurt the Right, which means we are in a good place in the middle,” he replied.
'We will force them to unite'
The party would not provide either political bloc with the Knesset mandates needed to form a narrow government.
“We will not give either side the 61 seats it needs - not Netanyahu, and not Bennett and Eisenkot. Assuming we receive significant political strength, we will force them to unite, and in my assessment, they also want to unite,” he said.
“Our guiding principle is that we will try to maximize the public’s will. We will reflect the will of the voter.”
Asked what would happen if the major blocs refused to join a broad government, Simchi said political leaders had learned the cost of spending an entire Knesset term in the opposition.
“If side A receives the mandate to form a government and side B says no, then there is a problem. But I think everyone has learned the lesson and understood from the last round that spending four years in the opposition is not smart. Everyone understands that the right thing to do is to enter a broad government and minimize the damage. Spending four years in the frozen wilderness? That is not smart.”
As Simchi and Gantz move forward with their political initiative, reports have emerged of a competing effort led by former Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.
Simchi declined to address Erdan directly, focusing instead on what he said distinguished his organization from other political initiatives.
“There is a new political player - the person speaking with you - who already has a proven track record, and we will bring in additional new faces. That is the major difference.”
'Everyone must enlist - nothing can be achieved with an ax'
Simchi also said he was determined to resolve Israel’s military enlistment crisis.
“Everyone must enlist. Summer camp is over. But after October 7, I learned that nothing can be achieved with an ax,” he said.