With the final days of the current administration winding down, Labor leader Ehud Barak has increased efforts to bring his party into the Likud-led coalition government, taking a more aggressive approach against party opponents.
Barak insists that security and economic realities compel all the major parties to enter a broad-based coalition, calling on Kadima leader Tzipi Livni to follow his lead.
Barak had harsh words for his opponents in Labor, insisting “the country must come before the party,” telling the media on Thursday that the call of the hour demands Labor take the bold step and join the coalition.
Barak is seeking to convene the party’s leadership body in the coming days to vote on entering the coalition, but opponents have signaled the meeting is not planned for a number of weeks and they will not permit moving it up.
Barak went as far as to threaten to dismiss party employees who are taking action to prevent his convening of the ruling body, insisting the matter must be taken to a vote immediately, confident that he will assemble the central committee in the early days of next week, assured he will have a majority favoring his entering the coalition government.
Bibi Promises Ben-Eliezer the World:
Meanwhile, Likud leader Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has telephoned Labor Party leaders in what appears to be a legitimate attempt to bring the party into the forming coalition.
Speaking to senior Labor official Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Netanyahu stated “you will get whatever you ask for”, sending a message that Labor will be a major player in the coalition, not just a “fig leaf granting legitimacy to the coalition” as Kadima leaders and Labor opponents to entering the coalition accuse.
Barak told party secretary MK Eitan Cabel to at least seriously sit and listen, adding “what do you have to lose,” with Cabel telling the media that while he is strongly opposed to joining the government, he agrees and will hear what the offer is being placed on the table. “I will listen out of politeness but do not plan to change my position” stated the party secretary.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
In comes Barak-out goes all the benefits to the religious olem. Bibi is frightened that his coalition will not last even a month so he is scraping the pot to find more members.