Habayit Hayehudi (the Jewish Home) Party chair and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down and retiring from Israeli politics.
Peretz said that he would not lead the party in the upcoming Knesset elections, slated for March 23, or run in the party’s primaries, but noted that he was not ruling out a future political comeback.
“This is the time to let new forces break out and lead, and I will make every effort to make sure we succeed,” he said, adding that he will continue to serve in his position until the elections.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.