Amos Oz
Photo: Meir Partoush
Shulamit Aloni
Photo: Gabi Menashe
Amos Oz: The Left can win in next elections
'The big challenge is to convince the public that there is a relation between the occupation and poverty,' writer says during assembly in support of Meretz chairmanship candidate Chaim Oron. Aloni: Shas dictating everything
"The Israeli Left is standing in front of its window of opportunity. It is possible to win in the next elections because the time is ripe. The big challenge is to convince the public that there is a relation between the occupation and poverty," writer Amos Oz said Sunday.
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In an assembly in support of MK Chaim Oron, who is running for the chairmanship of the Meretz party, Oz said that "our real enemy is not the Right, but fatigue and despair. More and more Israelis have grown tired of this Rightist and settler state and are saying 'no more'."
The Meretz primary elections are schedule for March 18.
According to Oz, the Labor party under (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak's leadership is "falling apart and does not have peace and social despair high on its list of priorities."
Former Meretz chairperson Shulamit Aloni reiterated Oz's sentiment, saying "there is a wise member of Labor who wanted to wanted to expand the authority of the rabbinical, Orthodox and anachronistic courts. Barak employed (Joseph) McCarthy-like methods against artists who were legally discharged from the army while the haredim do not even enlist.
"The government does not represent the people, because Shas is dictating everything. We must return to the principles of justice, liberty and equality," Aloni added, "if state and religion are one and the same, then there is no democracy.
"The obligation to convert is sheer stupidity; those who assimilate – assimilate; don't hassle people. It will be good to live here even without Darwinist-capitalism," she said.
