Knesset Member Daniel Ben-Simon announced his resignation as Labor Party faction chairman on Monday. During a press conference in the Knesset Ben-Simon said, "I have no intentions of withdrawing from political life. I finish my term as Labor faction chairman after a rather miserable tenure which lasted five months."
The MK further noted, "Labor is not functioning properly. The party that did not fulfill the goals for the sake of which I, for one, joined it, on the political level."
Ben-Simon criticized the party's conduct as a coalition member, with special emphasis on what he called the party's foot-dragging in the evacuation of illegal outposts, which the party's chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak is directly responsible for.
He also cited the lack of progress in the peace process and the lack of social sensitivity in the government as reasons why he believes the Labor party can no longer be a part of the coalition.
"If the deception of the outposts continues, the Labor Party should not be in the coalition," he said, "and the deception does continue. And he who heads the party is responsible for the outpost enterprise. I cannot make peace with this shame."
"I came with my head held up high; I came with great pride when I entered the Labor Party's headquarters," he continued, "my legs were trembling. There aren't many founding parties like it in the country. The excitement was exceptional.
"Five months later, I am forced to return the keys in order to express my disappointment with the fact that the Labor Party is not functioning properly. The party is on a slippery slope and it is unclear how it can be stopped."
In response to speculations, Ben-Simon stressed that he has "no intentions of retiring from political life. I am just beginning my personal, ideological and political chapter in the Labor Party," he said.
He did stress, however, that "at this point" he does not plan to join the four 'rebel' Labor MKs – Eitan Cable, Amir Peretz, Yuli Tamir and Ophir Pines.
He added that his vote must no longer automatically be in line with the coaltion, saying, "My resignation from chairing the faction gives me the option to have a different voice heard. I will vote according to my conscience, I am a member of the Labor Party, but I do not have to obey the coalition's orders if I don't see fit to do so."