Key Figures Depart Yesh Atid Party Amidst Election Preparations

Member of Knesset (MK) Miki Levy has announced he will not be included in the Yesh Atid party's list for the upcoming Knesset elections. Levy stated he has reached an agreement with party leader Yair Lapid and will remain within the party, serving as its tribunal chairman while continuing to support its campaign. He expressed gratitude and pride for their shared journey, emphasizing a lack of anger or bitterness.

Levy's departure follows a series of significant exits from Yesh Atid as the 2026 elections approach. Boaz Toporovsky, a party founder, announced his retirement from politics in June, followed by Ron Katz in July. This month, Yoav Segalovitz resigned from the Knesset and the party to join Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party. Elazar Stern also left Yesh Atid after 11 years, subsequently joining Gadi Eisenkot's "Yisrael" party.

Earlier, former minister and veteran MK Meir Cohen decided not to run on the "Yachad" list, a joint venture between Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The party announced Cohen will instead assume the role of chairman and president of the Yesh Atid Conference.

The wave of departures is attributed to internal shifts within Yesh Atid following the merger with Bennett's party and the formation of the "Yachad" list. With election lists being finalized, competition for secure spots has intensified. Bennett has added his own candidates to the list, while current polls suggest the joint list may secure fewer mandates than the number of candidates vying for prominent positions.