Ayelet Shaked announced Sunday evening that she will not run in the upcoming elections, ending weeks of speculation over a possible return to politics. Shaked is nevertheless expected to join Likud, build the seniority required within the party and seek a place on its electoral slate in the following elections.
In a personal statement, Shaked said she had hoped the political system would change after the October 7th massacre. “Unfortunately, it seems that even in the upcoming elections, the political system is converging on the same patterns of campaigning and boycotts-two blocs that, in my view, are dismantling the state," she wrote. “As a mother of a son who is an officer and a daughter who is enlisting for meaningful service, it saddens me to think about what will happen here if we are dragged into consecutive rounds of elections. Our brave children deserve more."
Shaked said Israel needs a broad government bringing together forces from across the political spectrum to address its security, diplomatic and economic challenges. “I think and believe that a broad, cross-bloc government is necessary, but it seems that such a government is not possible under the current electoral system," she wrote.
She also apologized to supporters who had urged her to return to politics. “With pain, I say that I did not see a realistic way to represent you properly. If there had been one, I would have said, ‘Here I am,’" Shaked wrote.
Her decision follows talks with several political figures. Last month, Channel 7 reported that Shaked had discussed a possible joint run with Benny Gantz, but the two failed to resolve differences over leadership. Gantz was unwilling to give up the top spot on the list.
Shaked was also reportedly in contact with Religious Zionist figures as part of efforts to establish a potential “third bloc." Those discussions focused in part on the need for further unification to prevent votes from being wasted on parties that fail to cross the electoral threshold.