MK Shimon Solomon is retiring from the nitty-gritty aspects of politics, he stated in a letter he sent to members of his Yesh Atid party on Thursday, and will not be running in the 20th Knesset.
"At the end of two years of work as a member of the Israeli Knesset, I decided not to run for the 20th Knesset, and instead, at this stage of life to contact executive positions," Solomon said. "As one of the founders of the [Yesh Atid] party, I do not intend to leave the party, but the opposite is true: I will continue my activities within the Yesh Atid framework, which has become a second home for me."
"The two years of my term, I was privileged to serve the citizens of Israel in a wide range of areas, with an emphasis on activities for disadvantaged populations, action on social and educational issues and measures to promote rights for laborers and social workers in Israel," he continued. "In addition, I worked hard for the Ethiopian community from which I come and all its strengths and difficulties such as employment, integration academia, military integration, education and the fight against racism, I know personally."
Solomon expressed hope that Yesh Atid would meet all of its goals during the next Knesset term, after the 19th Knesset was cut short for early elections. In the past Knesset, the party had 19 seats; in the 20th Knesset, the party is projected to gain only 8-11 seats, according to recent polls.
The MK concluded by thanking Yesh Atid party chairman Yair Lapid, "for the trust he placed in me from day one, and a true partnership through which we led important changes for society in various fields."
"In addition, I thank the members of my party, and each member of the Yesh Atid family, which was like a second home for me; I got to meet and work with wonderful people, who represent for me the beauty of Israel," he added.
Solomon is the second Yesh Atid MK to quit direct involvement in politics. In December, MK Adi Koll also announced her resignation, noting that she would return to working in the education system.