MK Mickey Rosenthal (Labor) announced Wednesday that he will not run for the Knesset this year, and will be retiring from politics.
“I am leaving partisan politics, but I am not leaving public life in Israel,” said Rosenthal. “I will continue to work on behalf of Israel’s character as a Jewish, egalitarian state seeking peace, with more social justice and less corruption.”
“I never saw my membership in the Knesset as a goal in and of itself, politics, I believe, should be only a means to an end. I look back proudly over six years of service in the Knesset, including very significant legislation and parliamentary work with depth – not populism.”
But Rosenthal also said he held himself accountable for his party’s failures, saying “I never was a fan of politics, and I was never great at it.”
“I believe with all my heart in really holding public officials personally accountable, and not just in saying so. I was a partner in the failures of the Labor party… and I take responsibility for that.”
Rosenthal was first elected in 2013, and served in the Knesset for six years, spanning the 19th and 20th Knessets. Prior to his entry into politics, he worked as a journalist and film producer.