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Last update - 22:16 02/04/2008 Peretz offers conciliatory hand to Barak amid recent infighting By Mazal Mualem?and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service Tags: Ehud Barak, Labor party  Former chairman of the Labor Party Amir Peretz (Labor) on Wednesday reached out a conciliatory hand to current Labor Party chair and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, offering to work closely with him if he abandons his personal political agenda. "If you are serious about working for the future of Israel, then we will work together with you," Peretz said, adding "if you are only serving your own interests, then we are not with you." Peretz's statements, which were made to a group of party activists during a celebration held in honor of the upcoming Passover holiday, came against the backdrop of recent tension between the two Labor party MKs. Advertisement The pre-Passover celebration was also attended by Labor MKs Rhaleb Majadele, Yoram Marciano, and Ephraim Sneh. During the festivities, Marciano called on Barak to "put the gloves back on and meet with Peretz." During a particularly volatile meeting of the Labor Party on Monday, Peretz said to Barak "power is your obsession; you say we need to prepare for elections but who would want to vote for you?" Peretz also accused Barak of being "simply pathetic, and out of touch with reality with your statements on the elections." Peretz added that Barak's leadership will lead to a loss if there is a general election and asked the Defense Minister, "Who would vote for you? You are an absolute failure. Instead of debating ideas like opening talks with Hamas, your only plan is to bring down the government." Barak responded to these remarks saying "I am completely convinced that I couldn't be as pathetic as you and so I will not respond to your speech nor will I hand out grades. Every member will judge for themselves." Barak, who reiterated his former announcement that the party is preparing for elections, told Peretz that "I take the task that I, and we, have been handed by our voters, to ensure that the Labor Party returns to govern the country, very seriously, and I am determined to do that with or without you." The Labor faction meeting was convened in order to formulate the guidelines that will dictate the party's behavior within the coalition. Earlier Monday, Minister without Portfolio Ami Ayalon, who lost the chairmanship of the Labor party to Barak in the primaries in June, said "Ehud Barak may be the chairman of the party, but he is not the party itself." With his comment Ayalon referred to Barak's comments on Sunday who hinted that the party is closer to quitting the coalition than people may think. During Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting, Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer spoke to Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon, and not realizing the microphones were turned on, said "if he [Barak] wants to commit suicide, let him commit suicide. I am not with you [Barak]. I told him, we are over." These remarks were broadcast on all the news editions, but despite the embarrassment, Ben Eliezer's aides said that "it is no secret that Fuad [Ben Eliezer] feels this way." Peretz also spoke on the recent elections for party functionary seats, an issue that has led to tension with Barak. Peretz said "We very much wanted to work together with you throughout the election process, but you didn't want to, so we went forward without you. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Devil's weed New campaign equates smoking pot with terrorism. Bad company A BBC poll says Israel world's most hated country after Iran.   1.   Peretz of short memory.. 00:27  |  Esther 03/04/08   2.   Peretz is an embarrassment to himself and others 03:43  |  dav zee 03/04/08

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