MK Galit Distel Atbaryan Announces Exit from Politics
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
Member of Knesset Galit Distel Atbaryan announced her departure from politics, stating she will not run in the upcoming Likud primaries and will leave the Knesset at the end of her term. Known for her controversial statements and legislative initiatives, she previously served as Minister of Public Diplomacy.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- MK Galit Distel Atbaryan will not seek re-election and is retiring from politics.
- She previously served as Minister of Public Diplomacy and chaired the Communications Law committee.
- Distel Atbaryan is known for making controversial public statements.
- She will leave the Knesset at the end of the current term.
- Her ministry was closed in October 2023.
Member of Knesset Galit Distel Atbaryan, a member of the Likud party and chair of the special committee for the Communications Law proposed by Minister Shlomo Karai, announced on May 25, 2026, that she will not run in the Likud primaries and will retire from political life. She is expected to leave the Knesset at the end of the current term and will not be on the Likud's list for the October 27, 2026 elections.
Distel Atbaryan served as Minister of Public Diplomacy in 2023, resigning five days after the October 7th Hamas attack. During her tenure, she made controversial statements, including advocating for the "erasure of all of Gaza from the face of the earth" after a screening of Hamas atrocities and later stating in December 2023, "I created a rift, I created division, and I created tension."
Born in Jerusalem in 1971 to parents who immigrated from Iran, Distel Atbaryan is also an author. Her 2014 book "Peacock in a Stairwell" was a finalist for the Sapir Prize. Before entering politics, she worked as a publicist and broadcaster. In 2018, it was revealed she ghostwrote speeches for then-Culture Minister Miri Regev while employed by the public broadcasting corporation, a role she stated did not present a conflict of interest.
She was placed tenth on the Likud list for the 24th Knesset in February 2021 by Benjamin Netanyahu. After being appointed minister in the Prime Minister's Office in December 2022 and then Minister of Public Diplomacy in January 2023, she resigned from the Knesset in March 2023 under the Norwegian Law. Her ministry was later closed in October 2023, with its budget and staff transferred to the "Tikum" administration for the rehabilitation of Gaza border communities.
Distel Atbaryan has been a vocal and often controversial figure. She has been criticized for statements regarding reservist pilots, the judicial overhaul, and the October 7th events, for which she later apologized for some remarks. She also faced legal action, including a defamation lawsuit from Omri Ronen of the Brothers in Arms organization, which was dismissed due to her parliamentary immunity. She has also been involved in legislative efforts, including chairing the special committee for the Communications Law and proposing a bill to reduce the budget of the public broadcasting corporation.