Prime Minister Naftali Bennett did not announce on Wednesday that he was leaving politics, rather said he was taking a break. This is the right decision from his perspective, for given that Israeli prime ministers are usually in their 70s, he is a young man of 50.
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Bennett will take some time off, spend time abroad, and stay mostly under the radar with occasional media appearances and calculated public speeches, holding the prestigious title of "former prime minister."
When he returns to politics, Bennett will follow in the footsteps of many others who have done the same before, such as Benjamin Netanyahu, Moshe Kahlon, and Gideon Sa'ar. Bennett too will return.
The political implications of his resignation are exaggerated. Yamina is not a ruling party, but a small group that is coming apart at the seams. Amichai Chiki has left, Nir Orbach and Idit Silman are already on their way to the Likud, and Abir Kara and Shirly Pinto may or may not stay with Ayelet Shaked, who is taking over Yamina.
She is taking over a battered party, but one that nevertheless has a chance at succeeding in the next elections.
The Right is looking for a party that represents right-wingers who are not ultra-Orthodox or religious Zionist, and who want an alternative to Netanyahu and the Likud, because they seek to help the bloc reach 61 seats in the Knesset. Shakes had said all along that she did not rule out working with Netanyahu.
True, she is considered by many in the Likud as a persona non grata, and true, the Right's electoral power is undermined, but Israeli election campaigns have always been characterized by particularly unexpected surprises.
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