MK Eliyahu Ravivo (Likud) announced Thursday that he is concluding his Knesset tenure but remains politically active, and confirmed he will not run in the party's upcoming primary. The statement follows earlier reports, as first reported by The Zioneer, that Prime Minister Netanyahu's associates offered Ravivo the ambassadorship to the UAE.
MK Eliyahu Ravivo (Likud) confirmed Thursday morning that he will not run in the party's upcoming primary, stating he is 'ending my path in the Knesset but not leaving the house' — a phrase widely interpreted as a pledge to remain active within the Likud political framework. The announcement follows The Zioneer's earlier report Thursday at 10:46 Jerusalem that Ravivo had withdrawn from the primary race after reports emerged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's associates offered him the ambassadorship to the United Arab Emirates.
The first report of a deal to prevent a Likud MK from running appeared Monday, Aug 10, at 22:12 Jerusalem, citing an unnamed MK. Later that same evening, N12 identified the MK as Alon Raviv — a name subsequently corrected to Eliyahu Ravivo — and reported that associates of Netanyahu had offered him the UAE ambassadorship in exchange for stepping aside. Israeli Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) then confirmed that Ravivo was absent from the official primary ballot. By Thursday, Ravivo himself issued a statement, though he did not publicly address the diplomatic offer.
The Likud primary, originally expected months ago, has been repeatedly delayed, fueling internal tensions. As The Zioneer reported, several other Likud MKs — including Dan Illouz and Tally Gotliv — have also declined to run or threatened to boycott the ballot over the uncertain date. Ravivo's reference to 'the house' echoes his insistence that his public mission continues, even as he steps back from the Knesset.
The UAE ambassadorship offer itself remains unconfirmed by Ravivo and has been denied by sources close to the prime minister. No official announcement regarding Ravivo's next role has been made.
8 developments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake