The backlash over Zionist Union chairperson MK Yitzhak Herzog’s talks to join in a unity government continues to intensify, as a third of his Labor faction MKs boycotted a meeting that he called on Sunday in Tel Aviv.
Many in the party have called for Herzog to resign. The talks failed as Herzog demanded a unilateral division of Jerusalem, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu turned instead to Yisrael Beytenu head MK Avigdor Liberman to widen the coalition government.
While Netanyahu has said he is still open to having Zionist Union join the government, Herzog responded that Liberman’s addition makes it impossible for him to be a partner in a unity government.
The Labor MKs boycotting Herzog’s meeting on Sunday, which was to be the first since unity government talks went down in flames, include Shelly Yechimovich, Erel Margalit, Stav Shaffir, Yossi Yona, Hilik Bar, Miki Rosenthal and Omer Bar-Lev.
“I intended to come to the faction meeting, but I understood that instead of taking responsibility and calming things down, Herzog continues to disparage members of his party in a divisive manner, and incites with rhetoric identical to that of Netanyahu,” said Yechimovich.
“I don’t intend to contribute to that, we will focus on returning the honor and the moral and parliamentary content to the Opposition which has suffered a calamity, in an attempt to heal the deep and justified crisis in faith that the public feels regarding Israeli politics,” she added.
Yechimovich’s criticism was joined by that of her colleague Rosenthal, who called to replace Herzog over his inability to lead the Opposition against Netanyahu.
“I didn’t want to spoil Herzog’s impassioned celebrations that he is concocting together with the media adviser, the new acquisition, Ronnen Tzur, the servant of the Ofer and Tshuva (tycoon) families, and the rapist (ex-)President (Moshe) Katzav,” said Rosenthal.
Continuing his criticism with a reference to Cain from the Torah, he said, “you don’t build leadership by being a crybaby. Herzog accuses the entire world for the failure of the process – even when the mark of disgrace and humiliation is registered in his name and on his forehead.”
According to Rosenthal, Netanyahu did not trick Herzog during the talks on a unity government, but rather Herzog fooled himself.
“Netanyahu did not for a moment intend to give him what he now boasts as having almost gotten. Someone who knows Netanyahu should have made a moral decision that he will not enter negotiations with a man like that, or else will not enter secret negotiations – but rather inform in advance about his conditions.”
The MK assessed that “Netanyahu kept Herzog hanging, disgraced the Labor party and its principles, kicked out (Defense Minister Moshe) Ya’alon, gave Liberman the Defense (Ministry), spit in (Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-)Sisi’s face and established the most right-wing government that ever was here. And who according to ‘Buji’ (Herzog) is guilty? The left.”
“I’m a proud leftist and I’m not ashamed of my principles. I respect every person who has principles, on condition that they actually have them,” concluded the MK.
