(Israeli Politics:) Ben-Eliezer joins Labor chairman race

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 23 January 2004 | TALYA HALKIN

[anotherview]

Jan. 23, 2005 22:03
Ben-Eliezer joins Labor chairman race
By TALYA HALKIN

Speaking Sunday evening before hundreds of Labor party activists in Herzeliya, Minister of National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer formally announced his candidacy for chairman of the Labor party.

"We are intending to lead the party once again in order to recapture political power," Ben-Eliezer said. He added that Labor entered the government for the sole purpose of disengagement, and declared his party to be "the only body Prime Minister Sharon can fully count on for total support."

Devoting much of his speech to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ben-Eliezer stressed there is no military solution to it.

"In order to reach a political solution," he said, "we must sit around a table and talk. This is our golden opportunity."

"We must support and assist PA leader Abbas," Ben-Eliezer said, calling for Prime Minister Sharon to enter negotiations with Abbas and with the head of the PLO.

"I don't know how long we will remain in government and I don't care," the Minister added. "But whoever has eulogized Labor has now wakened up from their sleep."

[anotherview]

Ben-Eliezer joins Ehud Barak in challenging Shimon Peres for party leadership. There will probably be other candidates soon.

[Honestfreedom]

This is the sickness of the Israeli left that has brought Israel from a position of strength to weakness. Sharon unfortunately has largely followed this.