MK Dan Illouz Joins Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu After Leaving Likud

MK Dan Illouz, who recently left the Likud party after voting against ultra-Orthodox exemption laws, has officially joined Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party. Illouz will take the place of former MK Eli Reali on the party list. In a statement, Illouz criticized Likud, saying it has become an executor for Aryeh Deri and Goldknopf, and accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of failing in leadership and needing to step down. He urged Likud supporters seeking genuine right-wing representation to vote for Yisrael Beiteinu.

Illouz praised Lieberman as a strong, experienced, and principled leader who stands firm despite political costs. He described Yisrael Beiteinu as the home for those who believe in Zionism, national responsibility, and a Jewish, Zionist, and liberal state, invoking the legacies of Jabotinsky and Begin. Lieberman welcomed Illouz, calling him a principled individual who has shown courage and integrity, especially in fighting against draft exemptions and advocating for equal national service.

Following Illouz's departure, he was removed from the Likud WhatsApp group by coalition chairman Ofir Katz, who sent a message to the group dismissing Illouz as a populist who forgot who brought him into the Knesset, stating "there was never a Likud." This move highlights the tensions within Likud after Illouz's defection.

The development marks a significant boost for Yisrael Beiteinu ahead of upcoming elections, reinforcing its position as a nationalist and liberal alternative to Likud on the right-wing political spectrum in Israel.