Likud MK Yuval Steinitz has been in the Knesset since 1999. His wife, Gila Kanfei-Steinitz was appointed to the Supreme Court in February, which the Likud has heavily criticized.
Former minister and veteran Likud MK Yuval Steinitz announced on Tuesday that he is retiring from politics and will not run in the upcoming Likud primaries.
Why leave now?
Last year, when Likud fell out of the coalition and alternate prime minister Naftali Bennett and Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s government took office, Steinitz began considering his political future.
His wife, Gila Kanfei-Steinitz, was appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court in February, the first female judge of Sephardic descent.
The Likud has been vocal lately in its criticism of the Supreme Court and is pushing for reforms that would weaken the court’s ability to overturn laws that the justices deem are undemocratic.
What has he done in the Knesset?
One of the longest-serving MKs, Steinitz has been in the Knesset since 1999. He served as minister of agriculture and energy and chaired the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“After 23 years as an MK, it is time for me and my family to breathe some fresh air,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“I want to thank all Likud members and all of Israel for the privilege I had to serve the country and help it thrive,” he added.
“I hope that the upcoming elections bring an end to the political chaos that has been going on, and allow for a national government headed by Netanyahu,” he concluded.
“I hope that the upcoming elections bring an end to the political chaos that has been going on, and allow for a national government headed by Netanyahu.”
Likud MK Yuval Steinitz
Political reactions
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu praised Steinitz and particularly his help as energy minister in pushing through the necessary government regulations to allow the extraction of natural gas from Israeli economic waters.
“Our joint efforts in taking the gas out of the water, against all the populist pressures, brought millions of shekels to Israeli citizens – in education, welfare, health and infrastructure,” Netanyahu said.
Yuval Steinitz is one of the best, most honest people in the Israel political sphere,” tweeted Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked. “He advanced the state in many ways, some of which are not even known to the public. He is a dear friend who always handled himself with respect.”
“Yuval is a symbol of seriousness and directness in politics, something that is absolutely necessary in politics, despite what it may seem like today,” tweeted New Hope MK Yoaz Hendel.
Alternate prime minister Naftali Bennett wrote on Twitter that he was sorry to see Steinitz go, that “the Israeli public is losing an honest, brave and skilled man.”