Minister Elazar Stern
Minister Elazar SternNoam Moskowitz/Knesset spokesperson

Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern announced Tuesday afternoon that he is withdrawing from the race for the leadership of the Jewish Agency.

The announcement follows Stern's statement in a radio interview on Sunday that he “shredded many anonymous complaints” when he was in charge of the IDF’s Manpower Directorate.

"I chose to run for the leadership of the Jewish Agency, to give further expression to the two pillars on which I was raised in my parents' home: one was to promise the saying 'never again' and the other to never make differentiations between people, not on the basis of religion, race, sex or sexual preference. "I have educated and trained many thousands of officers, soldiers and soldiers that I am proud of. Wherever I have worked for equality, human dignity and a space that allows for complaints and in-depth treatment. I have always shown zero patience for sexual harassment and harm to any girl or person," Stern wrote in a Facebook post.

"However, in the current atmosphere, I do not find it right at this time to present myself for election as Chairman of the Jewish Agency. I do so with clean hands and with a full heart, and I know all of my years and past actions are evidence of my true ways."