MK Dan Illouz Resigns from Knesset After Joining Yisrael Beiteinu

MK Dan Illouz officially submitted his resignation from the 25th Knesset to Speaker Amir Ohana on Tuesday, following his recent announcement of leaving the Likud party to join Yisrael Beiteinu led by Avigdor Lieberman. Illouz's resignation will take effect within 48 hours, and he will be replaced by Shabtai Ketesh, next on the Likud list.

In his resignation letter, Illouz recounted his immigration from Canada to Israel about 20 years ago driven by Zionism and his military service. He described his tenure in the Knesset as occurring during one of Israel's most challenging periods and expressed pride in the Zionist and national struggles he led, while acknowledging the heavy personal cost. Illouz stated that by leaving Likud and joining Yisrael Beiteinu, he is returning his mandate to the party but intends to continue serving Israel in the future.

Illouz sharply criticized his former party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing Likud of surrendering to ultra-Orthodox parties, particularly citing Aryeh Deri and Yitzhak Goldknopf. He was a leading figure opposing the controversial military draft law. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman welcomed Illouz's move, praising his courage and integrity in leaving the coalition.

This political shift highlights ongoing tensions within the Israeli right-wing bloc and the challenges facing the current government coalition.