MK Yuli Edelstein Leaves Likud to Launch New Political Path

MK Yuli Edelstein announced in an exclusive interview with "Meet the Press" that he is leaving the Likud party after nearly two decades. Edelstein, a former Knesset Speaker and chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said he can no longer justify the party's policies and will not run in the Likud primaries. Instead, he plans to establish a new political framework. He acknowledged the difficulty of this personal and political decision, noting the surprise and disappointment among his longtime supporters within Likud.

Edelstein's departure follows a tense term marked by conflicts within the coalition, particularly over the controversial exemption from military service law. Likud removed him from his committee chairmanship after he refused to advance the law in the form demanded by ultra-Orthodox factions, replacing him with Boaz Bismuth. Recently, Edelstein voted against the coalition's position on the Basic Law: Torah Study.

The rift between Edelstein and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified in January over delays in passing the exemption law. Netanyahu criticized the former committee chairman for obstructing the legislation and breaking commitments, expressing lost trust. Edelstein responded by stating the law would not meet the army's needs and lamented the failure to fulfill promises made after the October 7 attacks.

Reports indicate that Edelstein is in talks with former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and a group of religious Zionist rabbis to form a new party. This initiative aims to address the needs of those feeling politically homeless, focusing on equal burden-sharing in military service while maintaining right-wing values. Former Likud MK Gilad Erdan is also interested in founding a party centered on this issue, potentially leading to future cooperation among the three.

The full interview with Edelstein will air tomorrow on "Meet the Press" with Amit Segal and Ben Caspit.