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Sneh quits Labor to launch new party in run-up to next vote By Mazal Mualem and Jack Khoury Tags: yisrael hazaka, ephraim sneh  MK Ephraim Sneh split off from the Labor Party Sunday to launch his own party, Yisrael Hazaka ("Strong Israel"). The new party, which other Labor members have also joined, is slated to take part in the next Knesset elections, which he expects to take place in early 2009. Sneh told reporters Sunday that he would resign from the Knesset after 20 years as a legislator and after having served as health minister, transportation minister and deputy defense minister. Sneh, whose place as a Labor MK will be filled by Druze party activist Shakib Shanan, told a press conference that the Labor Party had lost much of its strength. Advertisement 'I am leaving regretfully' "It does not have the strength to extricate itself from the tough crisis in which it finds itself," said Sneh. "I am leaving the Labor Party regretfully, after more than 20 years in which I put all my energy and my soul into its success." Although no Labor MKs have joined Sneh's new party, his resignation is a further blow to the image of the party and its leader, Ehud Barak, who has had a tough time unifying the party. Barak doesn't have a good relationship with his predecessor, Amir Peretz, or with Labor Minister Ghaleb Majadele. In addition, the Green Party asked Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz several months ago to head the party, and Labor officials think he could accept the offer. Sneh, who is considered close to Peretz, did not use the press conference to criticize Barak, who dismissed him as deputy defense minister when Barak took over as party leader and defense minister. Meanwhile, Shanan's phone barely stopped ringing yesterday as he fielded congratulatory calls from friends and acquaintances. Shanan himself was wary of getting too excited. "We need to wait a few days and see how things develop," he said. "Until the resignation goes into effect, I have nothing to say." Shanan, 45, is an educator who lives in the western Galilee. As No. 20 on the Labor list, he almost got into the Knesset, but an appeal over the election results gave the party 19 seats instead of the 20 it had first appeared to have won, and Shanan did not make it into the chamber. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Nuclear allegation Jimmy Carter says Israel has arsenal of 150 nuclear weapons. On penalty of death Rightist MK Eldad says those who give away Israeli land should get death penalty.   1.   Too Bad, I Like Sneh 11:11  |  Slibovitz 26/05/08   2.   The Writing on the Wall: Early Elections, Kadima & Labor Crushed 19:30  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 26/05/08   3.   No Job for Froike 21:43  |  Sneaky Pete 26/05/08

Read & React Carter says Israel has 150 nuclear weapons Responses: 441 Sources: Israel, Hezbollah strike prisoner swap deal Responses: 60 U.S. professor gives Israeli prize money to Palestinian university Responses: 163 Palestinians reject Israeli offer to hand over 91.5% of W. Bank Responses: 182 Analysis / Price of quiet in Lebanon is Hezbollah in power Responses: 52 More Headlines 00:27 Sources: Israel, Hezbollah strike prisoner swap deal 02:29 Nasrallah's speech / Preparing Kuntar's 'homecoming' 20:04 MK Eldad: Anyone ceding Israeli territory should be sentenced to death 18:31 MI: Syria continuing to arm Hezbollah despite peace moves with Israel 22:20 Defense officials: Anti-rocket system to be ready to test this year 00:46 Monument to gay victims of the Nazis to be unveiled in Berlin 17:06 21-year-old confesses to murdering his father in Jerusalem home 01:51 Abducted soldiers' families skeptical about Lebanese reports of swap deal 01:49 Arab children nearly 3 times more likely to die in accident 21:23 Carter says Israel has arsenal of 150 nuclear weapons 16:36 Hamas: Israel must open Rafah crossing for truce talks to succeed 19:44 Murdered teen Tair Rada's parents to sue state for NIS 2.5 million for negligence Previous Editions Select Day 26 may 25 may 23 may 22 may 21 may 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may 14 may 13 may

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