'We'll turn Israel back into welfare state'

Ahead of the Labor Party premiership race, Knesset Member Amir Peretz is acting to recruit new voters from within the ranks of the opponent Likud party.

Speaking at a press conference Monday morning, MK Peretz criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blaming him for destroying the "(Menachem) Begin revolution."

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"Netanyahu has turned the Likud into a classic republic with a right-leaning economic policy that serves the stronger sectors in the market and eliminates Mapai's political socialism," he said.

Peretz promised to overhaul the political map, saying "the widespread belief in Israel is that Likud voters are extremists and every Likud leader is scared of making compromises because he'll lose support.

"Likud members throughout the country are tired of seeing their leaders serve the wealthy layers of society, helping them gain more capital," Peretz stated.

The Labor chairman hopeful explained that Likud supporters "are more moderate than their leaders, and are willing to make courageous compromises in order to obtain peace, including supporting the release of terrorists with blood on their hands in exchange for (kidnapped soldier) Gilad Shalit.

"Likud supporters are not the problem, they are the solution," he exclaimed.

MK Peretz said he intends to recruit new voters from the veteran Likud fan base and severe the ties between the party and the affluent sector.

"The Labor party will go back to being the party of the simple man, the working man, the middle class," he said, adding that he plans to implement an economic policy that will "turn Israel back into a welfare state.

"If need by, we won't hesitate nationalizing the health services, education and other social services that have been privatized. In order to close the gaps, we'll impose an inheritance tax as is customary in the most capitalist countries," he said.

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