Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday he received 'with sorrow' the decision of Immigration Minister Ophir Sofer not to run in the next Knesset election, calling Sofer a 'longtime partner' and praising his political style. Sofer had announced his retirement earlier today.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to Immigration Minister Ophir Sofer's retirement announcement with sorrow, calling him a 'longtime partner.' This is the latest in a series of rapid developments around Sofer's departure from political life, reported throughout Wednesday afternoon.
At 15:22 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported Sofer's retirement, citing a report by Amit Segal (N12) that Sofer would not run in the next election and would remain in office until the end of the term. Within the same minute, further reports emerged: one citing a dispute with Smotrich over Haredi conscription (version 1), another in which Sofer thanked Smotrich and Prime Minister Netanyahu and called for national unity (version 2), and another where Sofer stated Israel must strengthen its security (version 4). The reports then coalesced: Sofer's own statement cited the need to 'lean on values and unity' (version 8), while Smotrich's response was published in multiple versions, each adding more detail — from praising Sofer as a 'hero of Israel' (version 6) to calling him a 'friend and partner' (version 7) and finally expressing sorrow (version 8). The source quality evolved from a single news report to official statements from both Sofer and Smotrich.
The departures are part of wider tensions within the Religious Zionism party. As The Zioneer reported last week, former IDF general Ofer Winter stated he would not run on a joint slate with Smotrich, calling himself 'not sectoral.' Additionally, The Zioneer reported earlier that a party official named Sopher left the party over its policy on Haredi conscription, further highlighting internal divisions.
It remains unclear whether Sofer's departure is solely due to the conscription dispute or if other factors contributed. Sofer's future plans — whether he will remain in public life in a non-political capacity — have not been specified. The timing of the next election also remains uncertain, though Sofer will serve out his term.
9 developments
- StrongReport: Minister Ofir Sofer to retire from politics
- DevelopingOfer Winter says he will not run with Smotrich, calls himself 'not sectoral'
- StrongBen Gvir confirms he and Smotrich will not run together, repeats 'two heads' argument
- DevelopingFinance Minister Smotrich tells Oded Harosh he considered resigning after October 7
Source and signal
- Internal intake