Peretz calls on Labor leaders to convene urgent member meeting

Less than a day after announcing that he would run again for leadership of the Labor Party, MK Amir Peres sent a letter to the party's leaders asking them to convene members for an emergency meeting.

In his letter to Labor Chairman Ehud Barak and party secretary, Eitan Cabel, Peretz said the members must meet immediately on the future of the faction and to decide who they wished to recommend be tapped to form the government coalition.

In his first public response to the results of Israel's general elections earlier this week, Peretz told Channel 2 that Barak needs to resign from his position as Labor chairman, following the poor results the once leading left-wing party reached - just 13 Knesset seats.

"If I were party chairman, I would draw a conclusion and resign," said Peretz, who led the Labor party during Israel's previous elections in 2006.

"Had I gotten 13 seats, it's likely I would reach my personal conclusion. Either I would resign or I would be shown the way out," said Peretz.

Labor is now the fourth party in size, following MK Avigdor Lieberman's extreme-right Yisrael Beiteinu, whose 15 seats have positioned it as the Knesset's third largest party.

The centrist Kadima party, led by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, captured the largest number of Knesset seats - 28 - edging right-wing Likud's 27 seats.

"I am the only Labor chairman to reach 19 seats in general elections," said Peretz. "The year I lead the party was a year with the most social awareness."

Addressing the blow Labor suffered, Peretz said, "One of the saddest moments for a public figure is the fall of an idea. Something has happened that cannot be ignored. One of the main problems is that whoever believed that being a defense minister is a strong enough message for the public was wrong. Military achievements are attributed to militants wearing uniforms."

Peretz was referring to Barak's election campaign, which analysts say had been counting on bigger public support due to the significant role Barak played as defense minister during Israel's 22-day offensive on Gaza last month.