Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., March 25, 2009 Adar 29, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:20 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

Labor vote / Money time By Yossi Verter The scenes at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds today may feel familiar. For a decade the Labor Party has repeatedly crawled into every conceivable government under any prime minister. From one election to the next, the party has weakened, its values have faded, and its leaders have fallen like ducks in a shooting gallery. All that remains is the greed for power at any price. Advertisement "Opposition" has become a four-letter word, "soul searching" is a joke. This party has lost 31 Knesset seats in 17 years and has never stopped to ask itself what went wrong. Decades ago the Herut movement adopted a line from Zeev Jabotinsky's poem - "God, you have chosen us to rule." The movement was derided for this slogan but its leaders, including the present one, knew how to banish themselves to opposition wilderness until the voter, not God, renewed his confidence in them. Labor doesn't believe in God, and believes even less in the voter. Since November 2005, when Peres, Itzik and Ramon quit and left for Kadima with hundreds of activists and mayors, Labor hasn't been so close to a split. The confrontation expected at the party's convention today - unless it is canceled for some reason, is over the party's soul. Even before the decision, two factions have formed in Labor - Barak and his objectors. If the convention adopts Barak's proposal to join the Netanyahu-Lieberman-Yishai government, this split will become a fait accompli. Neither Barak nor Netanyahu care. The first will take whoever he can and join a government he won't even be a sub-contractor in, for a fistful of portfolios. Netanyahu doesn't care because he desperately needs public and especially world legitimization vis-a-vis U.S. President Barack Obama, who is preparing a peace-process initiative by this summer. Barak, who went further toward the Palestinians than any other Israeli leader, will be Bibi's flak jacket. This is why Netanyahu will make do with nine, even six Labor MKs, as long as Barak leads them. Barak will come to the convention in the same mood Ariel Sharon was in on the eve of the Likud split. He's fed up with his party, its functionaries and institutions. He promised weakly to remain in the party even if he loses, but nobody believes him any more. On his way to Netanyahu's government, he hasn't missed a lie or skipped a broken promise. For Barak, this may be the most important party debate in his political life. As far as he is concerned, it's to be or not to be. If he wins tonight, he will serve as defense minister in Netanyahu's cabinet and hope for a political comeback (perhaps after an operation in Iran?). If he loses he will have to decide rapidly whether to defect, together with three or four MKs, to the government; retire and go home; or stay, like a lame duck, in a party that will eject him the very first chance it gets. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Military in denial IDF chief Ashkenazi refuses to believe IDF troops harmed Gaza civilians in cold blood. Coalitional contention Labor demands chairmanship of key Knesset committee promised to Lieberman.

Read & React Bradley Burston: Why does the world media love to hate Israel? Responses: 189 Amira Hass: Time to believe Gaza war crimes allegations Responses: 149 Leftist MK, top cop hurt in clash near rightist march Responses: 210 Moshe Arens: Israel paid high price for little achievement in Gaza Responses: 82 More Headlines 00:51 Top Likud officials: Netanyahu sold us out for half of Labor 00:56 Labor votes in favor of joining Netanyahu coalition 20:38 ANALYSIS / Netanyahu made an offer Barak couldn't refuse 01:50 'Obama's offer for Iran ties could benefit all Mideast security' 22:43 'In Umm al-Fahm, we protected democracy' 16:30 Virtual battleground attacks Hezbollah's soft underbelly 19:00 Dummy bombs carried into Haifa-area malls undetected 23:11 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 18:41 Qassam rocket hits Ashkelon area after 10 day lull 21:30 U.S. charges Irish firm over sales of aircraft parts to Iran 12:38 'Slumdog Millionaire' star Freida Pinto in Israel to film movie 21:07 Police uncover makeshift Palestinian armored vehicle 20:18 Gaza group wins world's largest prize for children's literature 16:54 6 arrested over violent London protests against Israel's Gaza offensive Previous Editions Select Day 24 mar 23 mar 22 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar 15 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar

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