After nearly 50 years, Tzachi Hanegbi abandons Likud for Liberman

Tzachi Hanegbi, a longtime Likud politician and former head of the National Security Council, announced in a Tuesday op-ed in Ynet that he will vote for Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman in the upcoming October 27 election. The former national security adviser described the decision as a historic personal departure from his voting habits of almost 50 years. He noted that this will be the first election in which he will not vote for a party featuring himself or his late mother, Geula Cohen, among its candidates.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Hanegbi's decision stems from growing disagreements with elements of the Israeli Right regarding the conduct of political leaders, attitudes toward the judiciary, and exemptions from military service for the ultra-Orthodox. The Times of Israel reports that Hanegbi lamented the presence of racist and messianic voices in the Prime Minister's bloc. Arutz Sheva - Israel National News also noted his criticism of the right regarding Haredi draft exemptions.

Hanegbi, who was replaced as head of the National Security Council in October 2025 following disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that he remains firmly committed to right-wing ideology. He described the upcoming election, which will be his 18th, as a moment where he must truly choose rather than just vote.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, Arutz Sheva - Israel National News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.