Amir Peretz

President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, shake hands at the memorial ceremony for the late President Shimon Peres, Jerusalem, September 19, 2019. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Netanyahu’s rivals have forgotten the value of a Knesset opposition

Benny Gantz and Amir Peretz don't need to join an extreme right government to fight coronavirus or stay relevant in Israeli politics. Just ask the Joint List.

By Orly Noy April 7, 2020

Labor Party head Amir Peretz (left) and Meretz Chairman Nitzan Horowitz. (Courtesy of Democratic Union)

The final nail in the coffin of the Zionist left

The implosion of the Zionist left has caused many to recognize the necessity of Jewish-Arab partnership. But that partnership will require Israeli Jews to shed their privileges and allow Palestinians to take the lead.

By Orly Noy January 13, 2020

Meretz Chairman Nitzan Horowitz (right), Former Israeli Prime Minister and leader of Israel Democratic Party Ehud Barak (center) and Israeli MK Stav Shaffir seen during a Democratic Union election event in Tel Aviv, July 30, 2019. (Photo by Flash90)

Israel’s Ashkenazi elites won’t let Mizrahim lead the left

More than 70 years after Israel was founded, the old Ashkenazi guard of the Israeli left is still doing everything in its power to prevent Mizrahim and other oppressed groups from taking the reins. By Lev Grinberg Give or take a few seats, it seems things will remain much as they were following Election Day on…

By +972 Magazine September 16, 2019

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Tzipi Livni (photo: Sandy Teperson/CC)

Finally, Israel has an opposition: Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah party

With all due respect to Meretz and Hadash … Until yesterday, the occupation was not an issue in the Israeli election campaign; the only parties running against it were Meretz and the non-Zionist, Arab or largely Arab slates, all of which are marginal to the country’s politics. But with Amir Peretz’s departure from the Labor…

By Larry Derfner December 7, 2012

Former Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz announcing his decision to leave Labor and join Tzipi Livni's (right) new party. December 6, 2012 (photo: Tal Schneider)

Horse trading between centrist parties reveals leadership failure, looming loss

In a surprise move, former Labor leader Amir Peretz has joined Tzipi Livni’s new party. Former defense minister and Labor leader Amir Peretz announced today that he will be leaving his party and joining Hatnua, the new party formed by Tzipi Livni. Peretz, who criticized current party leader Shelly Yachimovich for not having any diplomatic…

By Noam Sheizaf December 6, 2012

The end of the Sharon dynasty: 5 takeaways from Kadima primaries

Despite positioning itself as the opposition party, estimates are that the hawkish Mofaz will join Netanyahu’s government following the 2013 elections. Shaul Mofaz, 64, won the Kadima primaries decisively yesterday, beating Tzipi Livni 62%-38%. Livni chaired the party since the resignation of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert over corruption allegations. Both candidates represent the Israeli security…

By Noam Sheizaf March 28, 2012

Amir Peretz (Photo: Yossi Gurvitz)

Amir Peretz and the Moroccan stigma

There are legitimate reasons not to want to see Knesset member Amir Peretz win back the leadership of the Labor Party. He was out of his depth as defense minister during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, when he distinguished himself by ranting that “Hassan Nasrallah will remember the name Amir Peretz!” As Labor leader, he…

By Larry Derfner September 13, 2011

Labor party rocked by fraud allegations, frontrunner sails on

It’s probably hard to tell from outside certain Israeli circles, but the withering Labor party has been making some considerable noise over its approaching primaries campaign. With nearly as many serious contenders for the leadership as there are Labor members in the Knesset (eight), the competition has always had a rather moribund feel to it.…

By Dimi Reider June 22, 2011

UK: An Israeli lesson for the Liberal Democrats

The results of the combined local-councils-devolved-assemblies-and-oh-by-the-way-voting-reform polls are coming in. While the results of the reform referendum and the assemblies are yet to be unveiled, it’s already clear that the reform champions, the Liberal Democrats, have suffered a catastrophic defeat. The Guardian – which unforgettably called the 2010 elections for the Liberal Democrats – nabs…

By Dimi Reider May 6, 2011

The battle over Labor: Who gives a hoot?

If there’s anything more pathetic than leadership battles in a dead political party – it’s leadership battles between two guys who don’t even have a chance of winning the leadership of that dead party. One can only wonder what Haaretz was thinking when they gave their lead headline – twice! – this week to Wikileaks…

By Ami Kaufman April 17, 2011

Myth of Good Israel vs. Bad Israel: Where were the Left MKs?

Where was “the peace camp” when the Knesset decided to probe human rights NGOs? As the Knesset is passing one undemocratic law after the other, many people ask themselves where is the famous Israeli Left. I have long argued that supporting the two-states solution (as many Israelis say they do) doesn’t necessarily relate to support…

By Noam Sheizaf January 11, 2011