Last update - 00:00 20/03/2007
MK Vilnai announces support for Barak in Labor leadership race
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent
MK Matan Vilnai announced on Wednesday that he will support Ehud Barak's candidacy for the leadership of the Labor Party in the upcoming primaries, during a meeting with the former prime minister.
In a statement read to the press, Vilnai explained his reasons for supporting his one-time political rival.
"The State of Israel and Labor party need people with experience and long-term familiarity with the security and defense estanblishments in order to extract it from the recent crisis," he said. "Now is the time to put the past behind us and make the right decision for the country and party."
In 2005 Vilnai ran an aggressive campaign against Barak for the Labor party leadership, in which he blamed him for losing the general elections to Ariel Sharon.
"Who said there's a new Ehud Barak? Because of this or that poll conducted while Barak is making noise and doing nothing ... have we lost our minds? Is he the man who should lead our party?" Vilnai said at the time.
Eventually, Vilnai and Barak both withdrew from the race and supported party veteran Shimon Peres, who in turn lost to current party leader and Defense Minister Amir Peretz.
Vilani is said to have decided to support Barak after a series of joint meetings. Ministers Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Shalom Simhon and Isaac Herzog have already announced their support for Barak.