Dov Khenin
Dov KheninHezki Baruch

Knesset Member Dov Khenin (Joint List) will issue a special statement to the media on Tuesday, in which he is expected to announce his retirement from political life.

Khenin, who is a member of the Hadash faction of the Joint List, has already told party leaders that he will not be running in the upcoming elections, and will resign from parliamentary activity after 12 years as a member of Knesset.

Khenin, the only Jewish lawmaker on Joint List, has been a member of the Knesset since 2006 and is considered an active parliamentarian mainly on social and environmental issues. In 2008 he tried to run for mayor of Tel Aviv, but lost to incumbent mayor Ron Huldai.

He is a long-time member of Maki, the Israeli Communist Party, a faction within the Hadash movement.

On Saturday, Joint List MK Jamal Zahalka, who is a member of the Balad faction of the Joint List, confirmed that he will not return to the Knesset.

There has been speculation that fellow Balad member Hanin Zoabi will also not run for the Knesset, but Zoabi rejected the reports last week.

"There was no discussion in the Balad party about my running for the next Knesset. The issue is not on my agenda and it is too early to discuss it. Apparently, someone does not want to see me in the Knesset and began spreading rumors as part of his false campaign," Zoabi said.