Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon has decided to call time on his political career, and his name will not be on the Likud list in the Knesset election on March 2. No official announcement of this is expected however. At this stage it is not clear whether Kahlon will remain as minister of finance during the transition period before a new government is formed.
Kahlon, who headed the Kulanu party, and pushed for social reforms as minister of finance, was deeply disappointed by the results of the election for the 21st Knesset last year, in which his party received just four Knesset seats. Despite having made public commitments several times not to join up with Likud, the party in which he began his career in politics, and not to enable Benjamin Netanyahu to continue in office as prime minister under indictment, Kahlon has remained at Netanyahu's side over the past few months, and even voted in favor of dissolution of the 21st Knesset in May 2019.
By leaving politics now, Kahlon will abide by his commitment not to serve alongside a prime minister who has been indicted on criminal charges.
Kahlon's plans for the future are not yet known, but he will probably turn to the private sector.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 12, 2020
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