Meretz party gays: Labor light years behind
Chairman of Meretz party’s gay forum says, ’Just recently I saw Peretz avoid direct questions on the homo-lesbian issue during a TV interview. Labor, despite the liberal platform it tries to present, is still light years behind’
Labor Chairman Amir is a closed-minded man leading a closed-minded party that is disguised as a modern one, Aviv Neter, the chairman of the Meretz party’s gay forum said Wednesday.
“Labor wanted to make cynical use of us to gain more votes,” Neter said. “It is an insult to our intelligence.”
Neter added that Labor members approached the gay forum members recently in an effort to conduct talks through a mediator.
“I wanted to hear whether Peretz actually brought change to the party, but unfortunately this is not the case,” he said.
'Meretz has worked a lot in this field'
“Just recently I saw him avoid direct questions on the homo-lesbian issue during a TV interview. Labor, despite the liberal platform it tries to present, is still light years behind.”
According to Neter, the community includes potential voters. “I have no doubt that Meretz’s list, which will include authentic representatives of homosexuals, lesbians, transgender people, and bisexuals, will achieve significant results in the ballots.
It is enough to look at the achievements of the Meretz party in the Te Aviv municipal elections over the last years to see the potential of the community. Meretz has worked a lot in this field and appointed Uzi Eben to serve as a Knesset member in its ranks.”
Neter’s comments were made in the wake of a declaration of opinion spread by members of the community, stating that Meretz is their political house. “We do not know what Labor members are offering, or whether they can keep their promises,” read a letter published by the Meretz gay forum.
“We know that the voice of Labor chairman Peretz has not been heard till today in the community’s struggles and the issue has not been on the agenda. It is not by chance that this move is taking place on the eve of elections, yet we are astonished that he believes the gay community would support him.”
“Publicized rumors that the community is moving from Meretz to Labor are not true. The chairman of the forum and forum members are faithful to Meretz and have no intension of leaving. Forum members as well as prominent activists are not leaving the party,” read the letter issued by the forum.
