Uri Zaki, a former member of Meretz and the Democrats, announced on Tuesday that he will be leaving Yair Golan's party. At the same time, Zaki announced that he will be moving his political support to Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.
The move follows 28 years in Labor, Meretz, and the Democrats, where he held senior positions.
In an official statement, Zaki explained the reason for his departure, noting that Israel needs a different leadership.
"After the recent years and the war, the State of Israel needs an idealistic, experienced, and serious leadership to replace Netanyahu and the great damage he caused to the State of Israel," Zaki stated, "We need a character who is the opposite of him, Lieutenant General (Res.) Eisenkot is such a leader. Quiet, cool, empathetic, and most importantly, a man who sees the country's good at any given moment."
Zaki expressed appreciation for the leader of his former party, Yair Golan, and its Knesset members, and said that he was proud of his part in uniting the left.
At the same time, he said ideological differences had led to his decision.
“I acknowledge that this reflects a gap that has gradually opened between my views and those of the left, particularly since October 7," Zaki said. “On quite a few occasions, I found myself disagreeing with the positions of my friends, and I also faced harsh criticism for views that I expressed."
Concluding his remarks, he declared that he intends to devote himself fully to helping Gadi Eisenkot win the upcoming election. He expressed confidence that Eisenkot is the leading candidate capable of appealing to broad segments of Israeli society, including right-wing voters. “The Israeli public is hungry for different leadership, including many Likud voters."
He concluded: “On a personal note, as the son of a father who grew up in a transit camp, I also believe that after 78 years, it is time for a Mizrahi Jew to become prime minister. We deserve it, and we deserve for that person to be Gadi Eisenkot."