Yesh Atid MK Ron Katz submitted his letter of resignation from the Knesset on Sunday morning to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, announcing that he will not run in the upcoming election.

Katz joins a growing wave of departures from the faction in recent months, including MKs Boaz Toporovsky, Yaron Levy, and Idan Roll, who have announced either their resignation or retirement. MK Elazar Stern is also expected to leave the party and run in the next Knesset election as part of Gadi Eisenkot’s new “Yashar!” party.

Political analysts say the departures are driven by the sharp decline in polling numbers for the Lapid-Bennett “B’Yachad” alliance.

Following his resignation, the next candidate on Yesh Atid’s list, Mohammed Shoko Abu Elheija, is expected to enter the Knesset. Abu Elheija, a resident of Tamra, serves as head of Yesh Atid’s Arab headquarters.

Yesh Atid is currently the second-largest party in the Knesset with 24 seats, but recent polls indicate that if elections were held today, the joint list would fail to reach even 15 seats. That has created unprecedented competition for realistic spots on the list, prompting the series of resignations from the party.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)