'Guided by morals.' Ayalon
Photo: Yaron Brener
Minister Ayalon set to resign from government
Labor demands that its former member give up his appointment as it was made in framework of coalition deal with Kadima
Minister Ami Ayalon is expected to announce his resignation from the government, after the Labor Party demanded on Wednesday that he give up his position as minister without a portfolio due to his recent retirement from the party.
Earlier Wednesday Labor Secretary-General Eitan Cabel sent Ayalon a letter asking him to give up his appointment since he was made minister without portfolio as part of a coalition deal between Kadima and Labor, and leaving the Labor party meant the deal was off.
"As someone who pretended to be guided by morals and values, it is only fitting that you treat the public and members of your former party in the same manner," Cabel said in the letter.
An associate of Ayalon said in response to the letter "if (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak wants to offer the position (minister without portfolio) to one of his associates, and thus give up on the issues Ayalon had been dealing with in the government, he is welcome to do so."
When he announced his resignation from Labor in mid-November Ayalon said it was a party "with no ideals, no standards and no rules that changes every morning.
"The tragedy is that there are wonderful people in the party, but it doesn't allow the fine people in it to travel their own paths. They are trapped within a party that pulls them down," he said at the time.
