Ayelet Shaked Declines Upcoming Election Bid, Eyes Future Likud Move

Former Minister Ayelet Shaked has decided not to run in the upcoming Israeli elections. She reportedly rejected an offer from Benny Gantz to join his party as the second-in-command. Shaked is expected to join the Likud party in the interim, aiming to gain seniority for a potential future candidacy within the party, according to Channel 13 news.

Journalist Amit Segal commented on Shaked's decision, stating she "decided not to run in these elections" and that her political partnership with Naftali Bennett is "clearly over." Segal noted Shaked's long-standing skepticism about the prospects of a "third bloc" in Israeli politics. He added that influential Likud mayors have been urging her to join their party for some time. Segal cited Yehiel Zohar, the mayor he described as "the strongest in the party," who believes Shaked would have secured a top-ten spot had she run.

"My assessment is that she will join the Likud, but time will tell," Segal said. Earlier on the same day, former Deputy Minister Abir Kara, who previously ran with Bennett's party, announced his withdrawal from the upcoming elections. Kara expressed a need for "far-reaching changes" in Israel, criticizing cosmetic fixes and a lack of decisive action. He wrote that Israeli society, economy, and governance require a "total restart" and that he has not yet found a political framework with the necessary determination for genuine change. Kara concluded that the current elections appear to be a mere reshuffling of the same political players.