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| By: Israel Insider staff and partners |
| Published: November 24, 2005 |
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A prominent politician from the moderate Labor joined Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new party on Wednesday, the first defection from Israel's dovish wing, adding impetus to a movement that could break a decades-long electoral stalemate over peace policies in a March 28 vote.
Turning away from the Labor Party, Cabinet minister Haim Ramon joined forces with Sharon and took the opportunity to open fire on new Labor leader Amir Peretz - who had some harsh words of his own for the defector.
Ramon disparaged Peretz as inexperienced, since he has never served as a Cabinet minister. Peretz "has good intentions, but these paths lead to hell," said Ramon, "and if we would have adopted them, then we would still be in Gaza."
Ramon said he supported Sharon from the day he presented his plan to pull out of Gaza and part of the West Bank, a task he completed in September.
Hitting back, Peretz said Ramon "ruined the Histadrut" labor union - Peretz succeeded Ramon as its head - "and now he is ruining the Labor Party."
For three decades Israel's parliament has been almost evenly divided between hawks and doves, making peace moves difficult.
The AP contributed to this report. |
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