Labor leader MK Merav Michaeli will leave politics after the party undergoes a leadership election in four months, she announced in a press conference on Thursday.
"The State of Israel is in crisis," she said. "Out of this great crisis, Israel needs a new start, and for that to happen, we need elections, and I'm convinced that Israel will be seeing elections in 2024."
In order to prepare, Michaeli announced that the party's primaries will take place in four months and that if an election for the government is set for earlier, the primaries will be earlier too.
Michaeli went on to say that labor is an important party and that Israel really needs a center-left Zionist party.
Michaeli: Responsibility is not only for successes
"I believe in Labor which is why I fought for it. I believe that Labor must and can be a significant player in determining the State of Israel's future," she said. "Together with my colleagues, I was responsible for Labor's successes in the elections for the previous Knesset, and as the party's leader, I'm also responsible for the state of the party now. Responsibility is not only for successes."
As such, Michaeli said that she would not run for party leadership, nor would she run for a spot in the party in the next elections.
"I will be here to pass the reins on to the party's next leader in the best possible way for the benefit of rebuilding the party and our nation."
Meretz calls to unite Israel's Left in joint primaries
In response to Michaeli's announcement, Israel's other Zionist left-wing party Meretz called for primaries for both parties together.
"Michaeli's announcement is important if a little late, but the Zionist left-wing faction in general, and Labor particularly, cannot repeat the mistakes from the previous elections," said Meretz Chairman Tomer Reznik. "Meretz, Labor, and the left-wing parts of the protest movement need to run together. I'm calling on Labor's committee and its MKs to make a decision on a political alliance with joint elections for the united parties."
Meretz wanted to run together with Labor in the previous elections, but Michaeli had refused, resulting in Meretz failing to get enough votes to cross the threshold. If they had run together, the two parties together would have had seven MKs in Knesset instead of Labor's four.
Labor MK Gilad Kariv said that Michaeli's decision is the right one.
"The decision reflects the will of the vast majority of Labor's members and constituents," he said. "In the coming days, I will work to adopt a pattern of joint leadership for the coming months together with my fellow faction members."
Labor hasn't led the government in 27 years since Shimon Peres was prime minister until 1996.