Avidar resigned from the Knesset: "Yair Lapid is the candidate for Prime Minister" | Israel today

Disconnecting from Lieberman:

Chairman of the "Free Democratic Israel" party, MK Eli Avidar, today (Monday) submitted a letter of resignation from the Knesset to Speaker of the Knesset Miki Levy.

Avidar said that he "feels obliged to return the mandate as soon as possible", he explained that it is "the proper and moral thing to do".

Also, Avidar noted that "the Change Bloc has only one candidate for Prime Minister - Yair Lapid".

MK Avidar's decision to resign from the Knesset was first published in Israel Hayom. 

"If it seems that connection will strengthen the bloc and prevent Netanyahu's return, we will be part of it," Avidar said.

"But we take into account that connections may not be made as a result of ego, stubbornness and narrow political interests. And to that I say clearly - we will not withdraw. We will continue as we promised until the elections."

MK Avidar: "The Change Bloc has only one candidate for Prime Minister - Yair Lapid"

In addition to this, Avidar detailed his political plans for the continuation of the election campaign: "Free Democratic Israel" is committed more than any other party to preventing Netanyahu's return to power and to passing a criminal defendant law in the first weeks of the upcoming Knesset.

We undertake to also pass a law against political defections, in the first weeks of the establishment of the government.

A law that will make it possible to maintain political stability in Israel and to prevent bribery transactions of shields as we will see being carried out in the Likud's upcoming Knesset lists."

Avidar's resignation: behind the scenes 

Avidar should have resigned from the Knesset in order to run in a new party only after it had received final approval in the party registry, but he decided to advance the move.

The reason: in-depth polls revealed that the MK is still identified with Israel Beitenu, and this alienates some of the potential voters targeted by the new party. In other words, the early resignation from the Knesset was intended to differentiate Avidar from Israel Beitenu.

Eli Avidar submitting basic documents for the "Free Democratic Israel" party, photo: Twitter Eli Avidar

On top of that, from a moral point of view, Avidar is not interested in continuing to "use" the mandate of Yisrael Beitenu while establishing a new party.

Thus he also proactively prevents claims against him from Lieberman's party.

As you may recall, two weeks ago Avidar officially announced that he was establishing a new party called "Free and Democratic Israel".

The party is aimed at a public that consists mainly of supporters of the Balfour protest, a public that is disappointed that the last government did not fight corruption as it promised and missed the opportunity to pass the law of the accused, which would prevent Netanyahu and anyone against whom there is an indictment from forming a government.

Currently, the party does not pass the blocking percentage, but Avidar promises to run to the end.

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