MK Moshe Solomon officially announced this evening (Thursday) that he does not intend to run in the primaries in the Religious Zionist Party.
In a statement he published, he wrote: "The Religious Zionist Party promoted the strengthening of settlement, a more determined security policy, influence on the economy, governance, and the Jewish identity of the State of Israel. Alongside these achievements, I feel that on issues that are the heart of Religious Zionism - Torah, the army, and labor - we have strayed from the path.".
He added: "I believe in the Torah. I believe in Torah studies. I also believe in serving in the IDF. In a shared responsibility for the right to serve, as part of the responsibility for building the state and the entire nation. These are not competing values - these are the values that we were raised on and that our public sent us to represent. When the party chose to give up on these principles, I felt that I could no longer look my public in the eye and tell them that I represent them as they expect me to.".
He said, "This is not a marginal issue. This is not another frog that needs to be swallowed. This is the essence for those who sent me, at least that's what I believe. Therefore, after much thought and out of public responsibility, I have decided not to run in the upcoming primaries of the Religious Zionist Party. I believe that politics is a tool, not a goal. When the tool no longer allows you to serve the values for which you entered public life, you have to know how to say so honestly.".
Solomon noted that he still does not know where he is headed politically.
""I don't know yet what my political path will be in the future. But one thing is clear to me: my public mission does not end here. This has been my path, and with God's help - this will also be my path in the future. Thank you to my friends in the faction and partners on the path.".
Yesterday, Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer announced that he had decided to retire from politics, in light of the differences between him and the chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, including over the conscription law.
Sofer informed Smotrich of his intention in advance.
