Elazar Stern Leaves Yesh Atid and Plans to Resign from Knesset

Elazar Stern, a longtime member of the Yesh Atid party, announced on Friday that he is leaving the party after 11 years and will resign from the Knesset in the coming days. Stern, a retired IDF Major General who served as head of the Personnel Directorate, joined Yesh Atid in 2014 representing moderate and liberal religious Zionism. He was first elected to the Knesset in 2015 and served multiple terms since.

Earlier in April, Stern declared his intention to leave Yesh Atid and join a party led by Benny Gantz, but he quickly reversed that decision and remained with Yesh Atid to support efforts for a broad political alliance and to oppose a draft evasion law. Over recent years, Stern's political relationship with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid had deteriorated.

Lapid responded to Stern's departure by acknowledging his significant contributions to Yesh Atid's achievements and the formation of the change government, emphasizing their longstanding friendship beyond politics. Stern's resignation marks a notable shift in the party's composition ahead of future political developments.