Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich announced on Tuesday that she would be taking a "timeout" of politics for an unspecified amount of time.
The former journalist, who was elected to the Knesset in 2006, Yachimovich took to Facebook to say that it was "time for a break," explaining that "at least for the time being, I've exhausted my effectiveness in politics."
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Yachimovich, who served as Labor leader between 2011 and 2013, said her decision was part of "an ongoing personal process," adding that she "never stopped loving parliamentary work," but she was "very tired of the politics part."
Yachimovich, 59, cited that one reason for her departure from politics was what she called constant "gamesmanship," where winning political battles became the primary objective in the Knesset rather than doing the right thing for the Israeli public.
"There must be a balance between [politics] and public service. This balance has been upended intolerably," she wrote.
Yachimovich placed fifth in Labor's last primaries, held in April.
Merav Michaeli, who placed seventh on the roster but did not make the Knesset in the last election, will likely take her spot on Labor's list.
