Occupied Jerusalem: Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a main architect of Israel’s policy towards Iran’s nuclear programme, said in a surprise announcement on Monday that he was quitting politics and would not run in the January 22 national election.
Region | Palestinian Territories
Barak says he is quitting politics
I want to dedicate more time to my family, he says
- Reuters
- Published: 13:50 November 26, 2012
- Image Credit: AFP
- Ehud Barak
“I have decided to retire from political life and not run for the next Knesset ... I will end my term as defence minister once the next government is established, in about three months,” he told a news conference.
“I want to dedicate more time to my family. I feel I have exhausted dealing with political life, which has never been a passion of mine, and I feel there is room to allow other people to serve in senior roles in Israel,” he said.
Opinion polls had predicted a poor showing for the small party that Barak currently leads, Atzmaut, but recently indicated voter support had strengthened as a result of Israel’s eight-day offensive in the Gaza Strip that ended in a ceasefire on Wednesday.
Barak, 70, has been a key player in Israel’s tough policy towards curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and a pointman in the Jewish state’s strategic relations with the United States.
He has been defence minister since 2007 and served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001.
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