Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg (Meretz) on Friday morning announced that she will not run for Knesset in the upcoming elections.
"I am full of faith and optimism for the future of Meretz, the Left, and the bloc of change," she said. "But I have accepted that this fifth attempt will be without me."
"I gave my maximum to this journey. As a Knesset member, as party head, as a minister, in the opposition and in the coalition, I served the path and the public who chose me. I believe that I changed things and had an influence, and now it would be correct to vacate my seat to others who will continue it."
"I want to thank the many friends who wrote, called, begged me in the past few days to run. The famous wheel that every politician aims to remain on feels like it is spinning in place right now. This is my time to get off of it."
Earlier this week, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, who heads Meretz, said that he will not run for the position in the upcoming primaries. However, he clarified that he will still remain in the party in the next Knesset.
With Horowitz’s departure from the leadership race, Deputy Economics Minister Yair Golan is now the sole candidate for Meretz chairman.