Histadrut Labor Union chief Avi Nissenkorn is quitting his post to join Benny Gantz, his Israel Resilience party announced Saturday evening.
Nissenkorn said in a statement he would join the party list in running for the next Knesset, albeit saying goodbye to Histadrut “with a heavy heart while continuing to maintain the social path that we have placed at the top of our priorities in this important body.”
It’s expected he will appear in one of the top five positions on the party’s list of candidates.
“Avi is a true asset on the way to victory and a change in priorities,” Gantz said in a statement. “His joining is a central element in turning the party into a representative of the middle class, which is coping with a destructive cost of living, huge lines in the healthcare system, and a resounding failure in the ability to obtain housing.”
Gantz reportedly promised the labor chief a ministerial post if Israel Resilience participates in the next government coalition after the April 9 elections.
The union chief is identified with the economic left and was reelected to his position in 2017 with 62 percent of the vote.