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Last update - 04:40 09/03/2008 Peretz wants Ayalon to join him in Labor Party challenge to Barak By Yossi Verter Tags: Labor Party, Israel  Former Labor Party chairman MK Amir Peretz is urging cabinet minister Ami Ayalon to challenge Ehud Barak again for the party leadership before the next general election. Peretz is adamant about going up against Barak himself, but he wants to coordinate his run with Ayalon. Peretz has met with Ayalon a few times recently, in an effort to persuade him to break his promise not to challenge Barak in the next election. Ayalon made this promise after losing to Barak in last June's party primary. A Advertisement yalon is considering his response. Peretz told Ayalon that he will run against Barak again once new general elections are called, with or without Ayalon. Peretz would like to rekindle his political alliance with Ayalon from the last primary. To that end, he is proposing a "coordinated candidacy" that could entail his support for Ayalon in the event of a second round of voting. Ayalon's associates even claim that Peretz has offered to take himself out of the race in favor of Ayalon, and that Ayalon has not yet given Peretz an answer. Peretz's supporters, however, deny that any such proposal was made. The party constitution stipulates that party primaries must be held prior to Knesset elections. The increasing frequency of party primaries in recent years led Labor leaders to agree not to hold primaries before the next general election, but the constitution was not amended to accommodate the decision. Peretz has told supporters that he is adamant about challenging Barak even if public opinion polls give him only 4 percent of the vote, in order to offer an alternative to "Barak's dictatorial rule of the party." Peretz is seeking to exploit the tension between Ayalon and Barak over what Ayalon's camp calls "Barak's breaking his promises of full cooperation." They are referring to Barak's failure to meet and consult with Ayalon regularly or to give him the powers that were discussed when Barak joined the cabinet last September. Peretz has been urging Ayalon to run against Barak, citing Barak's exploitation of Ayalon's promise in order to render the Ayalon camp impotent and "grind Ayalon into dust." Sources in Peretz's circle told Haaretz that Barak does not consider himself bound to compete for the chairmanship again and that he "is thumbing his nose at everyone" and "turning Ayalon into a shadow of his former self. Ayalon declined to comment. Bookmark to del.icio.us   From Pyongyang N. Korea expresses hope for stronger ties with Syria. Peres in Paris Pres. tells Le Figaro Israel won't act alone to halt Iran.   1.   crazy people 05:37  |  outsider 09/03/08   2.   Chickens, Chicken shit, and those who shit chickens 06:03  |  Mark Lincoln 09/03/08   3.   PERETZ????? 07:42  |  Bill 09/03/08   4.   Peretz... 08:09  |  Esther 09/03/08   5.   Peretz - Like A Groundhog 08:54  |  Mark R. 09/03/08   6.   PERETZ LOOKING DO TO SOME MORE DAMAGE 10:00  |  Robert 09/03/08   7.   challenge 10:22  |  colin 09/03/08   8.   what an insane idea 10:27  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/03/08   9.   We don`t need Peretz.. He can stay home... 12:46  |  x 09/03/08   10.   peretz the putz 13:23  |  danny 09/03/08

Today Online Palestinians: Hamas, Hezbollah cooperated on Jerusalem attack Responses: 137 Intel chiefs to present cabinet with grim scenarios for 2008 Responses: 49 Jewish Agency to start anti-terror drive in wake of J'lem attack Responses: 33 Gideon Levy: Mercaz Harav produced the rabbis who led the vilest form of Zionism Responses: 77 Editorial: Peace now, or eternal conflict later Responses: 30 Rosner's Domain Whose Jerusalem Is It, anyway? Poll: Should Abbas and Olmert continue their talks? An Israeli and a crocodile (WTR) The Israel Factor: What's wrong with Obama? Rosner's Mailbox: Stop focusing on Israel's favorability polls More Headlines 15:01 PM okays 750 homes for J'lem-area settlement 14:16 IDF soldier dies of wounds sustained in Gaza border ambush 12:06 Report: Hamas leader says hundreds of militants trained in Iran, Syria 16:36 Likud MK to propose ban on public mourning for terrorists 16:38 Study: Boston's intermarried 'as observant' as Reform Jews 12:29 Palestinians: Hamas, Hezbollah cooperated on Jerusalem terror attack 16:02 Top Defense Min. official visits Cairo for talks on Gaza calm 14:28 Kuwaiti analyst: Best if Israel, not U.S., destroys Iranian nukes 07:22 Jewish Agency to start anti-terror drive after J'lem attack 13:01 For stricken yeshiva, trauma of terror attack likely to linger Previous Editions Select Day 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb

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