Parliamentary veteran and senior Labor party representative Avraham Burg submitted his resignation from the Knesset today to Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin.
MK Burg, who spent the last 13 years in parliament and was the Knesset Speaker in 2001, will be turning to the private sector, apparently to join a European venture capital fund. In addition to his activities in the legislature, Burg also served as head of the Jewish Agency in 1995. He was involved in the "Geneva Understandings", initiated by Yossi Beilin, drafted with influential Arabs from the Palestinian Authority.
MK Burg's resignation paves the way for the entry of Labor party member Raleb Majadela, next on the party's Knesset slate.
MK Yuli Tamir (Labor) said that Burg's departure will be a "sad day," because he is one of the "finest people in politics."
MK Gila Finkelstein (National Religious party) said: "Despite our differing opinions and the changing make-up [of the Knesset] during the parliamentary activities, you will continue to be, to me, a loyal political colleague. You will be missed and we await your return to the circle of political life."
On the other hand, Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of the Labor party, said that the Labor party, the Knesset and the people of Israel would get over Burg's absence, because "as a Labor party member, Burg was more involved in talking and less in action."
MK Burg, who spent the last 13 years in parliament and was the Knesset Speaker in 2001, will be turning to the private sector, apparently to join a European venture capital fund. In addition to his activities in the legislature, Burg also served as head of the Jewish Agency in 1995. He was involved in the "Geneva Understandings", initiated by Yossi Beilin, drafted with influential Arabs from the Palestinian Authority.
MK Burg's resignation paves the way for the entry of Labor party member Raleb Majadela, next on the party's Knesset slate.
MK Yuli Tamir (Labor) said that Burg's departure will be a "sad day," because he is one of the "finest people in politics."
MK Gila Finkelstein (National Religious party) said: "Despite our differing opinions and the changing make-up [of the Knesset] during the parliamentary activities, you will continue to be, to me, a loyal political colleague. You will be missed and we await your return to the circle of political life."
On the other hand, Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, of the Labor party, said that the Labor party, the Knesset and the people of Israel would get over Burg's absence, because "as a Labor party member, Burg was more involved in talking and less in action."