Ben-Eliezer secures 6th place on Labor roster

Despite saying he has no problem running in primaries, Barak declares infrastructure minister to be placed sixth on party's Knesset list; two women to be included in top 10 spots
Attila Somfalvi

National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer will be placed sixth on the Labor Party's roster for the 18th Knesset, Defense Minister and Labor Chairman Ehud Barak declared Wednesday.

Only last weekend, Ben-Eliezer said in closed forums that he has no problem running in the primary elections. "I ran 20 times, and I'll run again," he stated.

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Barak also announced that the 12th place on the party's Knesset list would be secured for a representative of the moshavim (cooperative settlements) and the 13th place would be secured for a representative of the kibbutzim (communal farms).

The fifth, ninth, 14th and 19th places will be kept for women. The different districts' representatives will be placed in the 15th place and onwards.

Representatives of the minorities, the young people and the suburbs were angered Monday over their expected place on the list and demanded that they be moved up to the top 10.

Culture, Science and Sports Minister Raleb Majadele conveyed a threatening message that day at an Arab activists' rally, when he said that the Labor Party should decide about its attitude towards the Arab sector's representatives.

Barak decided last Thursday that the Labor's Knesset members would be elected in primaries, causing a lot of stress among some MKs who fear they won't be part of the next Knesset.

The different district's representatives held talks over the weekend in a bid to present a united front demanding a change in the representatives' placing on the roster.