Gesher helped to form coalition governments led by both Likud and the left-wing Labor Party, but never gained significant power.

[citation needed] Netanyahu's management tactics angered many Likud supporters while his right-wing rhetoric gained the confidence of Ariel Sharon, Benny Begin, and other hard-line party members.

[citation needed] He also knew that Netanyahu would not be willing to give him one of the top four ministries should Likud return to power after Levy's disastrous term as foreign minister.

Disadvantages for the populist party included the constant press attention to the Oslo Accords, terrorist attacks, rumors of negotiations surrounding the future of the Golan Heights, and the low priority that the media gave to economic and labor issues.

[citation needed] Meanwhile, Netanyahu's campaign to topple Yitzhak Rabin helped revitalize Likud and bring in new members.

Levy was forced to oppose Netanyahu's hard-line rhetoric, thereby appearing to be an ally of Rabin, though he continued to advocate his own proposals.

[citation needed] Netanyahu was also trying to recruit the hard-line Tzomet (Junction) party of Rafael Eitan on the right, as well as the moderate right-wing Yitzhak Mordechai in the center.

Throughout the spring, Netanyahu and Levy held negotiations, resulting in the Likud-Gesher-Tzomet, a three-party broad-based coalition which was strong enough to challenge the Labor Party in the May 1996 elections.

The Bar-On Affair, an attempt to alter the investigation of Shas leader Aryeh Deri, created tension within the partners, as did Netanyahu's unclear policies on peace negotiations.

Gesher and David Levy drifted closer to the policies of the Labor Party and opposition leader Ehud Barak.

Lack of progress on the peace front had weakened Likud, with some members reforming the right-wing Herut while others formed Israel in the Centre to compete with Gesher for moderate voters.

Gesher quit the coalition in April 2000, both in response to Barak's desperate attempts to move peace negotiations forward, and in protest to the announced plan to withdraw Israeli military forces from Lebanon.