Ilan Shohat (file)
Ilan Shohat (file)Miriam Alster/Flash90

Tzfat (Safed) Mayor Ilan Shohat, #4 on the Yisrael Beytenu list, has chosen to bow out of the 20th Knesset Tuesday - just one week after elections and days before the Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in. MK Robert Ilatov will take Shohat's place. 

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman stated shortly after the announcement that he "regrets Shohat's decision to resign from the Knesset, but understands his concerns for the people of Tzfat and residents who could not accept his departure" from the post.

Liberman added that he is "confident" Shohat will continue to contribute greatly to the development of the northern city and the region as a whole and pledged Yisrael Beytenu's help to that end. 

Over the past week, Tzfat has called on Shohat to give up his place as MK and continue serving in his municipal role, particularly after Yisrael Beytenu won just 6 seats in the elections. 

This is the second MK to make a sudden departure in two days. On Monday, Channel 2 reported that former Science and Technology minister Yaakov Perry (Yesh Atid) is likely to resign from the Knesset, though no official announcement has been made; he will be replaced by former Hatnua MK Elazar Stern.