Labor launches slogan: `The time has come'

The Labor Party yesterday kicked off a new campaign aimed at stopping its slide in recent public opinion polls, which will run under the slogan "Labor - The time has come."

With its new drive, Labor is abandoning earlier plans for a campaign attacking Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Labor activists said this idea was abandoned due to fears that it would boomerang, given the surge of public sympathy for Sharon following his recent stroke.

According to Shmulik Cohen, the party's campaign chairman, the fact that Labor has not yet chosen its Knesset slate has created a "political vacuum" that has left its supporters both confused and depressed.

As a result, he said, there was an urgent need for an "interim campaign" that would present the party's message to the public in the weeks until January 17, when Labor will choose its slate in party-wide primaries. Then, on January 22, the party convention will meet to decide on an official campaign slogan.

The interim slogan will be accompanied by secondary slogans reflecting some of the party's key themes, such as "Student, it's time someone thought about you"; "Pensioner, it's time someone cared about you"; "It's time for social justice" and "It's time to end corruption."

Labor chairman MK Amir Peretz said at yesterday's campaign kickoff that he did not plan any changes in Labor's platform, which focuses on socioeconomic issues. "We intend to win the elections and I suggest we don't change the campaign's direction," Peretz said.

Other senior Labor officials asked candidates running in the primaries to refrain from publicly criticizing the party's platform, fearing it could damage the party. "Remember that there is also a day after the primaries," said party secretary general MK Eitan Cabel. "I urge you all to weigh your words well."

Peretz also rebuffed criticism by Sharon's Kadima party that Labor was unable to address security and diplomatic issues. "Some say we are confused over security issues, but the one really confused is Kadima. An iron curtain was drawn around Sharon; he does not say anything, he does not take any responsibility," Peretz said.

Also yesterday, Moti Morel, who served as Peretz's strategic adviser during the latter's successful campaign for Labor's leadership, formally severed his relationship with the Labor Party, due to ongoing disputes with several senior Labor officials.

Mati David, a member of Labor's bureau, had circulated a letter a few days ago urging that Morel be fired for having charged that Sharon had authorized targeting killings in Gaza in order to divert the campaign from socioeconomic issues to security.

	Labor chair Amir Peretz yesterday at the party's Tel Aviv event to launch the new slogan. (Alon Ron)