From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 31, 2026
Founding Yesh Atid member MK Meir Cohen won’t run for reelection, says he is ‘making room for next generation’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Yesh Atid MK Meir Cohen has decided not to run for reelection on the B’Yachad list on October 27 and will instead be appointed chairman and president of the Yesh Atid convention — the party’s central internal representative body.
In a joint statement with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid released by the party, Cohen, a founding member of Yesh Atid, says that “after 25 years in the education system as a teacher and school principal, and 23 years in politics, two terms as mayor and twice as Minister of Welfare, I am happily and proudly making room for the party’s next generation and the people who will lead it into the future.”
“This is not a farewell,” Lapid says. “Meir is my older brother. He has always been, and will always be, the person closest to me in Yesh Atid, and he will continue to be one of the party’s pillars and central figures. I asked him to run in a top spot this time as well, but Meir wanted to give an opportunity to the party’s next generation of Knesset members. This only proves, once again, what a rare person and a rare politician he is.”
The Times of Israel Community.