news brief Son of Likud founder says nothing left of father’s party

Benny Begin, son of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who founded the Likud party in 1973 with Ariel Sharon, said on Tuesday that there was nothing left of his father’s party.

“Nothing remains in Likud of the path of the Herut (freedom) movement I joined 50 years ago,” Begin said in an interview with the Army Radio station. “This is bad.”

Begin took part in protests against the judicial reform in Jerusalem on Monday.

Begin – who served as a minister in several Netanyahu-led governments – had a falling out with Netanyahu in 2019, when he announced he would no longer vote for Likud.

Shortly after that, he aligned himself with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party.