Ben-Eliezer refusing to sign Ben-Simon party withdrawal paper

Industry Trade and Labor minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Tuesday that he respects the decision of Knesset Member Daniel Ben-Simon to leave the Labor party and establish a one man faction.

Nevertheless, he announced that he had no intention of signing the papers that would allow him to leave: "I hold him in the highest esteem, but I haven't changed my mind – the mandate belongs to the Labor party, not me and not anybody else." Ben-Simon had made an agreement with senior party members that his withdrawal from the party would only be possible if each member of the Labor faction agreed. (Attila Somfalvi)