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“Israel”: Labor Party Looks to New Leader for Revival

“Israel”: Labor Party Looks to New Leader for Revival
folder_openZionist Entity access_time3 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

“Israel's” Labor party showed signs of extinction, with polls indicating it wouldn't win enough votes in upcoming elections to enter Knesset.

But following the election of progressive Knesset member Merav Michaeli as its new leader, the party is showing signs of life.

Her election appears to have given Labor a jolt of momentum. But with many traditional voters having left the party, she has her work cut out for her ahead of March elections. “Israel's” center-left camp is fractured and right-wing parties, led by Netanyahu's Likud, remain dominant.

Opinion polls in recent days have projected that Labor under Michaeli will win five seats in the entity’s 120-seat Knesset. That could jump in the coming days if, as expected, smaller parties with little chance of making it into Knesset withdraw from the race ahead of a Thursday deadline.

Michaeli took over Labor after a trying year when it entered Knesset with historically low support. The party was torn apart after its former leader joined Netanyahu's government despite pledges not to, driving away lifelong voters. Michaeli chose to remain in the opposition and says she will never sit in a coalition under Netanyahu for a slew of reasons, among them his three corruption indictments.

She believes her decision to stay out of the government, combined with her message of ‘social justice’, will bring voters back.

"The fact that I have managed to lift up Labor, it's still early, but I think people have more faith that it's possible," she said.

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