Labor gearing up for election

Labor Chairman Ehud Barak said Sunday that his party "is ready to face the voter's choice."

Barak told his ministers that he believes it is time for the party to "join together and unite before the elections. The public will know how to appreciate our work and will know to vote for the political establishment's best, most experienced and most responsible."

Sources in Labor told Ynet the meeting was a serene one, with everyone in the party aligning themselves with Barak – at least for the time being.

"We have given (Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni) every opportunity to form a broad, stable government, consisting of a true partnership, but that didn’t happen," said National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.

"Barak has more experience than anyone else in the political establishment, when in comes to matters of defense," he added.

Education Minister Yuli Tamir rallied to Barak's side as well, saying that "he has a proven record."

Labor ministers also discussed the global financial crisis and it potential effects on the Israeli economy. "Labor is in the right when it comes to the dispute about increasing the State Budget," said one of the ministers. "Social solidarity in the answer to hoggish capitalism."

Prior to the Labor meeting, Barak met with President Shimon Peres in the presidential residence in Jerusalem. The defense minister briefed Peres on various security issues, and according to a presidential source, the two also discussed the new political situation enveloping Israel following Livni's call for an early election.

'What Kadima is all about'

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert chose to open Sunday's cabinet meeting by addressing Livni's decision on an early elections.

"The announcement itself is unfortunate, but she is within her right to make that decision," said Olmert. "The Knesset's winter session will begin tomorrow. It usually starts with the prime minister making a political address, but I have already informed Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik that under the circumstances, I won’t be making any political statements.

"I will be restricting my speech to social and financial issues," Olmert informed the ministers.

Earlier still, Foreign Minister Livni addressed her peers at Kadima's Sunday meeting: "As I've said after the primaries, I believe in a broad, stable government and I was committed to forming one.

"The last few days have made that task impossible. I was faced with impossible demands and I had to put a stop to it. I was willing to show my respect and allot budgets for goals I could agree with, but when it turned out the coalition talks were used as grounds for illegitimate demands and extortion, I decided to put a stop to it.

"This is what Kadima is all about," she concluded. "A united party that abides by what's right it the party that can win the next election."