MK Sneh resigns from Labor Party
Recently dismissed deputy defense minister claims Labor has 'lost its way,' become irrelevant, insignificant in peace talks with Palestinians. Sneh will likely try to form new faction or join existing one
MK Ephraim Sneh (Labor) informed Labor Party Secretary General Eitan Cabel late Saturday of his resignation from the party and his plan to establish a new political framework. Estimates in the political arena say that Sneh may also announce his resignation from the Knesset.
His future political affiliation is yet unclear. If he resigns from the coalition, it will be a third blow to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has already lost three coalition members from the Pensioner Party.
The former party member will hold a political press conference to be attended by political correspondents at Tel-Aviv’s Beit Sokolov early Sunday. Sneh refused to discuss the content of the press conference, but one option is that he may announce the establishment of a new political framework to run for the Knesset during elections.
Another possibility is that he will join an existing political faction. Sneh served until recently as Deputy Defense Minister and was replaced by Matan Vilnai after Ehud Barak’s election as Labor Party Chairman.
Sneh criticized the Labor Party on numerous occasions; while estimating that the time period between Passover and the Jewish New Year would hold a significant progress in store in negotiations with the Palestinians, he said of his party: “It can not be and will not be heard of that a peace-seeking party will not support this process, or stand in its way. Such a party will not prevail.”
At the labor faction meeting held in March, Sneh said: “Our problem is irrelevance. We serve in a collation that runs contrary to our belief and are not leaders of the peace talks with the Palestinians. Shas is making a mockery out of the government and promotes construction in the territories. This is not Labor’s way, and whoever loses his way become irrelevant and insignificant.”
