After leaving Yesh Atid: Elazar Stern joins Gadi Eisenkot

Ten days after leaving Yesh Atid, former minister and Knesset member, Major General (res.) Elazar Stern, officially announced on Monday his joining the 'Yashar!' party led by Gadi Eisenkot. With this, Stern joins a line of senior figures who have already joined the new party of the former IDF Chief of Staff.

'Throughout my public life, I have believed that leadership begins with service, responsibility, and personal example,' Stern stated. 'I want to live in a country where everyone feels proud to be Jewish, and in the same breath always remember the foundation of 'Beloved is man who was created in the image' - a Jewish, democratic, and liberal state that connects parts of society and where everyone takes part and bears responsibility for its future.'

Stern added that he is joining Eisenkot 'out of many years of acquaintance and deep belief in his leadership.' According to him, 'Gadi is a leader whom the public trusts and knows can be relied upon, a person who puts the good of the state before any political or personal consideration. In a period when Israel needs reliable, statesmanlike, and experienced leadership more than ever, I am proud to join Gadi and Yashar!'

Eisenkot welcomed his joining and said that Stern is 'a friend and partner on the path, who dedicated decades to the security of Israel and public service.' According to him, 'He adds to our team rich experience as a government member, as a Knesset member, and as a Major General in the IDF, and represents a statesmanlike religious Zionism that believes in service, responsibility, and the connection between Judaism and democracy.' Eisenkot further said: 'Especially in a period of draft evasion, polarization, and damage to statehood, his principled and brave voice is more important than ever.'

Stern, 69, entered politics ahead of the 2013 elections and was placed on the 'Hatnua' list of Tzipi Livni. After the dissolution of Livni's political partnership ahead of the 2015 elections, he left 'Hatnua', and in January 2015 joined Yesh Atid. Since then, he served in several Knessets, and in the Bennett-Lapid government, he served as Minister of Intelligence. He also served as chairman of the State Control Committee, was a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the Constitution Committee, and the Finance Committee, and in the last Knesset, he headed the subcommittee for human resources in the IDF.

Throughout his years in politics, Stern was one of the prominent voices on issues of recruitment and equality in the burden, the people's army model, and religion-state relations. In recent months, he also stood out in the struggle against the law for exemption from recruitment for the ultra-Orthodox — an issue that was also in the background of his political rapprochement with Eisenkot.

His departure from Yesh Atid was announced ten days ago, after 11 years in Yair Lapid's party. Already in April, Stern declared that he did not intend to continue in the party and that 'if I stay in Israeli politics, I will be where Eisenkot will be,' but shortly after, he retracted and clarified that at that stage he was continuing to act within the framework of Yesh Atid to promote a broad union in the bloc and block the draft evasion law. Last week, the move matured: Stern announced his resignation from the party and his resignation from the Knesset, with contacts already underway with Eisenkot in the background.

Before entering politics, Stern served for decades in the IDF and was discharged with the rank of Major General. Among other things, he was commander of the 202nd Paratrooper Battalion, commander of Bahad 1, Chief Education and Youth Officer, and Head of the Manpower Directorate. During his service, he was involved in initiatives such as the military conversion program 'Nativ', 'Witnesses in Uniform', and the integration of bone marrow donation matching tests into the induction process.

Stern joins a line of senior figures who have already joined Eisenkot's party, including former Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen, former minister Matan Kahana, former minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, economist Shaul Meridor, Major General (res.) Kamil Abu Rukun, and head of the South Sharon Regional Council Osrat Gani Gonen. The party seeks to present the emerging list as a team with security, governmental, economic, and social experience ahead of the elections.