Ehud Barak splits from Labor Party – Israel News, Ynetnews
Barak told a press conference at the Knesset on Monday morning that the new faction will be named Independence. “This isn’t an easy move, even for me. (Former Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon
did the same, (former Prime Minister David) Ben-Gurion did the same, and (President Shimon) Peres did the same,” he said.“We are setting up a faction, a movement and later on a party, which will be Zionist, central and democratic, and will follow David Ben-Gurion’s legacy,” the defense minister said, promising that the faction would act in accordance with a list of priorities which would put the State first.
“Then comes the party and then come we,” he added. “The motto will be what is good for the State of Israel.”
“We are facing difficult challenges, focusing on the peace process with the Palestinians, security-related and economic and social challenges. We are ready and willing to deal with all these challenges.
“We are leaving a party and a home we like and respect… Many of its members have experienced over the years the difficulties of daily life and the ongoing and unhealthy situation in the Labor Party, and they too were victims of the ongoing squabbles, the troubling drift to the left.”
Barak slammed Labor members who he said “have been dragged to the Left, to post-modernism and post-Zionism.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aware of the move and encouraged it, and his associates at the Prime Minister’s Office even helped Barak plan it. Labor’s senior ministers – Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Isaac Herzog and Avishay Braverman – were surprised by the announcement.
“The split will create an island of stability, a small and consolidated group within the coalition,” said a source close to Netanyahu.
