Gideon Saar, a former member of the Likud party and now the chair of his own New Hope movement, has reportedly tapped four Republicans who worked to defeat U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 3 to assist his own election campaign.
According to a Channel 12 television, Saar recruited communications strategist Steve Schmidt, political consultants Rick Wilson and Reed Galen and public affairs expert Stuart Stevens - all founders of the anti-Trump political action committee known as The Lincoln Project.
Israeli media cited the Saar campaign as confirming the move and saying the four could visit Israel soon.
The Lincoln Project was established in late 2019 by current and former GOP members to help beat Trump in the November 3 presidential election, with its founders saying "accountability" was their main goal.
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L-R: Lincoln Project cofounders Rick Wilson, Reed Galen and Stuart Stevens
(Photo: Screenshot/YouTube)
Although it sided with Democratic U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, the group was criticized after the election as Trump got a larger share of Republican votes than in 2016.
Saar's party has emerged as one of the possible front-runners in the upcoming election in March despite trailing behind Netanyahu's Likud in polls.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with former ally Gideon Saar before he left the Likud party
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
It has caused a number of defections in the Likud party, re-drawing the battle lines on the Israeli political landscape as it heads into its fourth election in two years.
Republished with permission from i24NEWS