Zionist Union MK Danny Atar quits Knesset to head JNF
Yael Cohen-Paran of Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua faction to take up the newly vacated parliament seat
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
Zionist Union MK Danny Atar on Monday presented his letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, as he prepared to transition to head of the Jewish National Fund.
His seat in the plenum will be filled by Yael Cohen-Paran, an environmentalist who was placed 25th on the Zionist Union party list. The faction has 24 Knesset seats.
Cohen-Paran will be sworn into the Knesset on Wednesday morning. Cohen-Paran is a member of Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua faction within the Zionist Union party.
Atar, 57, was elected to head the JNF on October 19, replacing longtime leader Efi Stenzler.
Atar also beat out Michael Biton, mayor of the town of Yeruham, for the leadership of the powerful nongovernmental organization famous for its blue charity boxes.
Nachman Shai, a former Labor MK, dropped out of the race the day before the vote.
Prior to joining the Knesset, Atar was head of the Gilboa Regional Council, a position he first gained in 1994.
According the Haaretz news website, the state comptroller twice reported that during Atar’s term there were incidents of overspending related to reimbursements, vacation days for top officials, purchase of vehicles, and catering at council events.
The JNF is a nonprofit quasi-governmental organization formed in 1901 that focuses on land reclamation, reforestation, and development of periphery communities.
