TEL AVIV - As the vote for Labor Party leadership approaches, the party committee gathered Monday in Tel Aviv to discuss the coming election, and to validate a proposal to join together with Amir Peretz’s One Nation party.
But the central issue was the coming election of a new party leader. A veritable carnival took place outside the meeting room, as supporters of acting party chairman Shimon Peres, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and government minister Matan Vilnai campaigned for their candidates.
Blast from the past
Vilnai also used the opportunity to critcize Peres.
“We must not continue your (Peres’) term as party leader, we must not continue the inheritance war in the party, not for a choice that doesn’t represent change or renewal," he said. “A vote for Peres is a vote to glorify the past.”
Despite the attack, Vilnai said Peres would not be cast aside.
“I promise you that when I am elected, you will continue to contribute, and you won’t be a mere figurehead,” Vilnai said. “You won’t be a minister for regional development.”
Gaza first
Peres spoke before Vilnai, saying the disengagement plan “is just the beginning,” and that Gaza would be the first Israeli withdrawal, not the last.
“If we don’t pull out of Gaza, we will regress as a nation,” Peres said. “Israel will also have to pull out of settlements in the West Bank.”
The committee also discussed several other issues, including whether the party chairman can also serve as a Knesset Member.
