Hendel and Hauser
Hendel and HauserFlash 90

Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel, who heads the Derech Eretz party, on Tuesday evening announced that following his party's split from Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked's Yamina, he has decided to drop out of the race.

In an open letter to Israeli citizens, Hendel wrote, "Nearly four years ago, I entered politics, after many years in security, academia, communications, and the public sphere."

"My entire life, I have seen myself as a soldier of the country, with a vest and weapon, with a keyboard or a suit and tie. I did everything I thought was right for the country. During my life, I made decisions. More than a few decisions. I hope that in most of them I was right, but it is clear to me that in no small number of decisions, I also made mistakes. The greatest fear in decision-making is the fear of making mistakes. I did not fear."

Hendel added that the unity government formed in 2021 was, in his opinion, "the fulfillment of his personal vision of unity - right-wingers and left-wingers who sat together in a coalition in order to work."

"I pushed for the formation of this government, I did everything I could so that it would work, and despite this, it failed," he admitted. "One year later, it collapsed."

About his short-lived merger with Yamina, Hendel explained, "When I understood that this partnership would in the end lead to a narrow government, I preferred to disband and pay the political price."

"I am bowing out of the current round with a twinge of pain in my heart, but with pride and great love for this nation and for Israeli society," Hendel said. "I promise, until the end of my service in the government, to work for you with all my might, citizens of Israel, and to be an address in the government for you."

"I wish the State of Israel that from this round of elections there will finally come a good government, stable and broad, which will serve for many years and accept and support all parts of Israeli society. I thank my partner, Zvika Hauser, for a friendship which is so rare in politics, and for the depth and strategy which he brought to his public service. I thank my office staff, friends, and many activists who have accompanied me in politics, my family which hardly saw me in this period, and to my wife Shiri, who is greater than them all. I will take a break the moment a new government is formed."

Shortly after Hendel's announcement, Derech Eretz's number two, MK Zvi Hauser, announced that he, too, would drop out of the race.

In a tweet, Hauser wrote, "Yoaz and I made a decision that Derech Eretz will not run in the upcoming elections."

"I thank you for the opportunity to serve the public for the past four years, and I wish all of us that we merit to see good, stable, and safe days."