leader of Israel's Labor Party, has vowed to resume peace talks with the Palestinians

[takeo]

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel's Labor Party voters have lined up behind their moderate candidate for prime minister, fielding a slate of Knesset candidates led by one of his staunchest supporters.

Amram Mitzna, the Labor Party's prime minister candidate, has promised to restart peace talks immediately with the Palestinians, and the triumph of his supporters in Monday's primary is significant because the Labor Party is shaping up to offer Israeli voters a clear alternative to the policies of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The center-left slate also means Sharon will have more trouble putting together a new unity government if he is re-elected.

After Sharon won a landslide election in 2001, he persuaded Labor to join a unity government that held together until October, when Labor bolted in a budget dispute.

Sharon, who has a wide lead in the polls, has said he wants to create a new unity government if he wins, but Mitzna has said he will not allow Labor to join. Labor's dovish slate of Knesset candidates means its faction in parliament would be less likely to cooperate with Sharon.

Sharon suffered a setback earlier this week when his Likud party central committee put together a slate of Knesset candidates who oppose his stand on the creation of a Palestinian state.

Sharon has said that -- with significant qualifications -- he is willing to go along with U.S. President Bush's road map for the creation of a Palestinian state. His foreign minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, whose supporters won at least 10 key slots on the Likud candidate slate, opposes the Bush plan.

Israeli voters will go to the polls January 28 to choose a new prime minister and Knesset.

In Monday's voting among 111,000 Labor Party members, the top vote-getter was Matan Vilnai, a key Mitzna backer and former Science, Culture and Sport minister in the Israeli government.

[Mediocrates]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1039503969454

Meretz's list for the 16th Knesset was nearly unchanged in the vote by the party's convention on Tuesday since the heavy reservation of slots in the top 12 left little chance for new politicians to break into the party's realistic ranks.

A tough battle was waged by the party's second tier to stay in the Knesset, since the first slot was reserved for leader Yossi Sarid, the fifth for Democratic Choice leader Roman Bronfman and Ran Cohen and Haim Oron were assured of top spots because of their seniority.

MK Zehava Gal-On improved her position in the party, winning the 4th slot, after finishing sixth in 1999.

Results:

1. Yossi Sarid
2. Haim Oron
3. Ran Cohen
4. Zahava Galon
5. Roman Bronfman
6. Avshalom Vilan
7. Ilan Gilon
8. Naomi Hazan
9. Issawi Frej
10. Hosniya Jabarra

Uzi Even, who became the first "open" homosexual to join the Knesset last month, is not likely to return to legislature after being elected to the 14th slot. He served only two weeks before the Knesset began an elections recess after Amnon Rubinstein quit politics.

Meretz won 10 seats in the 15th Knesset, and the party is not counting on winning more in 2003.

At the Tel Aviv Convention Center on Tuesday, campaigning among the 2,300 party members was almost exclusively conducted by those candidates who had little chance of being elected. Veteran MKs stood on the sidelines and enjoyed the refreshments provided by the hopefuls.

Negist Mengesha, an immigrant from Ethiopia, had a huge crowd of campaigners, as did Arab candidate Issawi Frej.

Mengasha said she sees herself as a "path breaker," and was hopeful she would succeed in being the first Ethiopian immigrant woman in the Knesset. She said Meretz leader Yair Tsaban was instrumental in the absorption of Ethiopians, and the party has appeal to her community because of its social platform.

MK Mossy Raz, who got the second highest number of votes in the selection of the 27-member candidate panel, was only placed in the 13th spot. "This is a cannibalistic election because of the few slots left available for Jewish males," Raz said before the elections. He said there is growing anger in the party over "exaggerated egalitarianism."

Three women candidates in the top 10 were required, and one an Arab.

As a result, efforts were being made to persuade party members to vote for Jabarra since her election would open a slot for a man in the top 10. She won the 10th slot that was reserved for an Arab candidate in the last election.

But Jabarra said her election would be because of her efforts in the Arab sector, which she said could bring Meretz two seats.

In the 15th Knesset, Meretz had four women in the top 10, including Jabarra.

Raz was pushed down by the Arab prerequisite in 1999 and only entered the Knesset after Oron gave up his seat while serving as agriculture minister.

The 12th slot has been reserved for handicapped leader Yoav Krayim and the 11th for another woman.


**Seems rather ho hum, like the manifestation of intraparty fighting more than a coherent direction for the party.**

[Miriam]

I find it remarkable that according to the Israeli media Mitzna is much less of a bleeding-heart peacenik than he is being presented in the rest of the world. Whether he is a capable politician is a different matter altogether - I have a hunch that this particular species doesn't grow too often - and much less thrive - on Israeli soil

[takeo]

Just imagine how different the course of history could have been if this man had been elected before, for example in a government coalition with Meretz...

[RyanJones]

Originally posted by takeo
Just imagine how different the course of history could have been if this man had been elected before, for example in a government coalition with Meretz...

The only difference in the course of history would be that the present terrorist war being waged against Israel would have started earlier.

[Miriam]

Originally posted by takeo

Just imagine how different the course of history could have been if this man had been elected before, for example in a government coalition with Meretz...

How poetic...