Neutral. Labor Chairman Ehud Barak
Photo: AFP
Deliberating. Peres
Photo: AFP
Labor remains neutral in premiership deliberations
Leftist party informs president it will endorse neither Kadima nor Likud to head next government, says wil serve public from opposition gallery
The Labor Party informed President Shimon Peres Thursday that it will not endorse any of the candidates being considered to form Israel's new government.
Under the Israeli electoral system, the president has to task one of the party heads with forming the government; however, last week's general election results were too close to call, and although Peres is meant to assign the task to the winning candidate, he is also bound to assign it to the one most likely to successfully form a coalition.
Musical Chairs
Attila Somfalvi
Chairwoman sends text message to 80,000 party activists saying Kadima would not join Netanyahu's 'extremist government'
According to Israel's system of government, prior to making his final decision, the president must also meet with representatives from all the parties, who recommend the candidate they believe has the best chance to form a stable government. Given the elections' tight results, the party head tasked with the mission may not be the de facto winner.
"The party is in consensus – we will be in the opposition," a Labor source told Ynet.
Labor sent Knesset Members Eitan Cabel, Ophir Pines-Paz and Shelly Yacimovich to discuss the premiership candidates with Peres. The three informed him their party will not be taking part in the coalition negotiations, but rather respect the voters' choice.
"The voters have unequivocally told us it is time to do out Knesset bidding via the opposition. We have to respect that," said Cable. Labor suffered an electoral blow in the elections, winning 13 mandates.
The party ultimately decided not to recommend either Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni or Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu for office, a move Yacimovich said was prompted by the party's wish to remain neutral during the coalition negotiations.
"Any recommendation we would have made could be construed as us interfering in the coalition talks and we have no desire to do so. We debated recommending Livni, but that dissipated when she accepted nearly all of (Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor) Lieberman's demands." The latter, she added, "Is a danger to Israeli society."
"Netanyahu is a political, ideological adversary and we do not share the same views," added Pines-Paz. "We respect him, but we cannot recommend him. We share some views with Livni, but unfortunately, she opted for Yisrael Beiteinu over the Left in hopes for a rotation with Bibi. She made it easier for us in that sense, by choosing not to be a part of us."
Labor Chairman Ehud Barak, meanwhile, tasked Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog with setting up the party's move into the opposition. Herzog will liaise with the special factions' committee set up to facilitate the Knesset's transition into the new government.
