ISRAEL: The nation's political scene has been shaken by defence minister Ehud Barak suddenly quitting politics just weeks ahead of a general election.
Mr Barak, a decorated ex-general and former prime minister, said he would stay on in his post until a new government is formed after the January 22 vote.
He said: "I didn't make this decision without hesitating, but I made it wholeheartedly."
Mr Barak's resignation could mean the departure of the most moderating influence on hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to retain his job after the election.
Mr Barak added: "I feel I have exhausted my political activity."
The 70-year-old and Mr Netanyahu had reportedly fallen out over whether to defer to the US on any attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article