Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn informed Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz on Tuesday that he is leaving the party and joining Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who announced on Tuesday evening that he is forming a new party and a run for the Knesset. Nissenkorn also had offers from Yesh Atid and Labor but turned them down. Later on Tuesday, Foreign Minister and Blue and White leader Gabi Ashkenazi announced he is taking a break from politics and will not be running in the upcoming elections. Huldai was flanked by Avi Nissenkorn, a former labor union leader who served as Israel’s justice minister. Nissenkorn announced earlier in the day he was breaking away from Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party. Another Blue and White MK, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, announced earlier on Tuesday that she is not running with Blue and White in the upcoming elections. Blue and White MKs Asaf Zamir and Miki Haimovich also left the party earlier this week and MK Ram Shefa is also expected to leave. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai is announcing his debut into national politics and launch of a new political party on Tuesday evening. The name of his party is “The Israelis”. In his press conference, Huldai says the problem is that “we have grown accustomed” to Netanyahu’s corruption and divisive style of leadership, and says he will get Israel out of its current despair. “We have grown accustomed to a crazy government. I will no longer stand idly by, I am here to announce a new party,” he says, recounting his history as an IDF fighter pilot, as an educator and as the mayor of Tel Aviv. Huldai, 76, has served as the mayor of Tel Aviv for the past 22 years. He announced his intention to run for Knesset in August. Meanwhile, reports say that Benny Gantz will announce that Blue and White will run in the next elections on Tuesday night. In other political news, three new Likud MKs, Shevach Stern, Ayoub Kara and Moti Yogev, were sworn in on Monday. The new MKs will replace the three MKs who quit the Knesset to join Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party, Ze’ev Elkin, Michal Shir and Sharren Haskel. Kara, who served as Communications Minister from 2017-2019, was the first Druze politician to serve as an Israeli minister. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be added to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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