Longtime Likud MK Yuval Steinitz announced his retirement from political life on Tuesday, after 23 years in public office.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Steinitz said he informed Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu of his decision to step down.
"After 23 years as a member of Knesset, during which I had the privilege of serving as finance minister, intelligence minister, energy minister, and chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, I felt my family and I deserved to breathe fresh air," he wrote.
"I'm proud of my accomplishments within the framework of my various roles, in the economy, diplomacy, and security. Some of [these accomplishments] were of historic significance, such as: exposing the Syrian nuclear program; devising a biannual national budget that was the first of its sort in the world; Israel's entry into the OECD; saving the economy from the global crisis between 2009 and 2012; the national gas project and turning Israel into an energy power."
He concluded by "thanking members of the Likud and all the people of Israel, for the unique privilege to befall me of serving the homeland and impacting issues relating to the country's existence and prosperity. I put myself at the disposal of my Likud colleagues during the election, in the hope that it will result in putting an end to the political chaos and facilitate the establishment of a quality nationalist government headed by Netanyahu and the Likud."
Netanyahu said in response to the announcement that Steinitz was a "loyal partner in the successful economic policies we spearheaded during the best decade in Israel's history. Our common fight to extract the gas from the sea, despite all the populist pressure, brought Israeli citizens tens of billions of shekels – for education, welfare, health, and infrastructure. As finance minister, Yuval worked to lower prices and taxes and as a member of the diplomatic-security cabinet, he was a partner in particularly important decisions regarding Israel's security. I am certain that Yuval will continue to contribute to the people of Israel and our beloved country. Good luck, Yuval!"
As for the political ramifications of Steinitz's retirement, one senior Likud official offered a more pessimistic prognostication ahead of the upcoming election.
"Steinitz's resignation will only exacerbate the Likud's problem ahead of the election. Instead of presenting a [Knesset] ticket that will attract new votes, we will find ourselves with a ticket that alienates the soft right. At this rate, it will be very hard for us to return to power and reach 61 mandates," the official said.
As a reminder, Steinitz's announcement came just five days after Likud MK Yuli Edelstein said last week that he would not vie for the party leadership in the upcoming Likud primary election.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
