MK Elazar Stern leaves Yesh Atid: "We have more collaborations ahead of us"
Member of Knesset Elazar Stern has announced his resignation from the Yesh Atid party and his intention to step down from the Knesset. He expressed his gratitude to party leader Yair Lapid for their years of partnership.
After publicly expressing support for "Yashar" chairman Gadi Eizenkot, Member of Knesset Elazar Stern announced today (Friday) his resignation from the Yesh Atid party, and stated that he would soon resign from the Knesset.
In a letter sent to party chairman Yair Lapid, he wrote:
"I am convinced, as I have already said, that if I remain in Israeli politics, we have more adventures and collaborations ahead of us that will allow us to lead the State of Israel out of the very serious situation that the current government has brought us to."
Lapid stated:
"Member of Knesset Elazar Stern informed me of his intention to resign from the Knesset after 11 years as a member of Knesset on behalf of Yesh Atid. Elazar was a partner in many of the Yesh Atid party's achievements in Israeli politics, as well as in the establishment of the 'government of change' in which he served as a minister. Elazar was my friend even before politics, and will be my friend even after politics. I thank him for many long years of friendship and partnership in working for the State of Israel and wish him success in the future."
"Since 2015, I have served as a member of Knesset on behalf of the 'Yesh Atid' faction, serving both as a minister in the government and as a member of various committees," wrote Stern in his letter to Lapid. "'Yesh Atid' under your leadership was for me a political home that allowed me to express my positions in various fields and especially: to maintain hope among the majority of the citizens of the State of Israel that a day will come when the Judaism of the State of Israel, the Jewish and democratic one, will be a Judaism that connects and not one that incites and divides. Also regarding my worldview on the conscription law, I was not surprised to find in 'Yesh Atid' partners for the path and the struggle."
"'Yesh Atid' under your leadership was for me a place to express my opinions, even when they did not align with the rest of the opinions in the room," added Stern. "Despite the disagreements, there was always room for respectful and attentive discourse. I found in 'Yesh Atid' a group of dedicated and professional members of Knesset and I found in them not only colleagues in the faction, but friends for life. Even when it was clear that I would not continue in 'Yesh Atid' after the upcoming elections, we both maintained a respectful separation process. So the time for parting has come. I am parting in this letter from 'Yesh Atid', and later I will resign from the Knesset."
MK Stern is not the first to leave Yesh Atid ahead of the elections, in which, according to polls, the party's power in the Knesset is expected to shrink significantly. About a week ago, Yoav Segalovitz, who was the Deputy Minister of Public Security in the 'government of change', announced his resignation from the Knesset and his departure from Yesh Atid, ahead of a possible joining of the Ra'am party of Mansour Abbas.
