Amir Peretz surprised Labor: He will not lead the dying party

December 23, 2020   

Labor Party Chairman and Economy Minister Amir Peretz announced this afternoon (Wednesday) that he will not run for Labor Party leadership in the upcoming elections for the 24th Knesset. Suffering from a medical problem? Feeling alone? • You can make money from the situation In a post he published on his Facebook page, Peretz wrote: "Out of a sense of responsibility placed upon me, I announce that in the upcoming elections I will not lead the Labor Party and will not head the list for the Knesset. At this time, the Labor Party must undergo renewal and elect a new chairman and new leadership." He added: "I did everything in the previous election campaigns to bring about a change of government. I did not agree to join a narrow right-wing government, despite the great personal political changes I could have accepted. But when Benny Gantz made a courageous decision during an unprecedented global crisis and out of national responsibility to establish a Greek-style rotational government in which the center-left holds significant positions of influence, and a date for the end of Benjamin Netanyahu's term, I decided to support this move. "We chose a compromise out of a sober look at the state of the country, the state of Israeli society and the political reality." He emphasized: "I knew I would pay a heavy political price, but I did it because I wanted to prevent a fourth election campaign that would inflame the mood, increase incitement and internal division among the people, and according to all predictions - if elections were held in July-August 2020 - Netanyahu would have succeeded in establishing a narrow and extreme right-wing government." Peretz continued: "Unfortunately, the partnership within the government failed. Netanyahu created a crisis of trust that only grew to a point where the government can no longer be sustained, and therefore the State of Israel is embarking today on a difficult election campaign that no one knows how it will end." The Labor Party chairman revealed: "I recently rejected the possibility of being secured in a safe place at the top of Blue and White, with the attitude that I do not represent myself alone, but an entire movement that includes excellent people and leaders throughout the country and leads a worldview of values." He said, "The Labor Party is a 100-year-old movement. It is natural that such a movement goes through crises and also emerges from them. The Labor Party has the human and moral resources, a magnificent youth movement, a workers' movement and a settlement movement that constitute a healthy political infrastructure for anyone who will lead the Labor Party in the future. "The State of Israel is abounding in inexhaustible human capital that has proven itself in all fields, and therefore I call on all leaders who want to be partners in rebuilding the historic Labor Movement to come and join the party and be part of a journey of renewal within a party in which democratic struggles will take place. "This is the time to allow new forces to break through and lead, and I will be at their disposal for the sake of the state and for the sake of the party.".