MK Itzik Shmuli (Labor) has expressed his satisfaction with the decision of Labor party members to approve the entrance of the Labor party into the unity government currently under formation.
"This was no easy decision to make," he noted. "But given the emergency situation, it was the responsible and correct thing to do. We intend to fight from within the government for far-reaching changes in governance and in the social and economic spheres, and to do our best to provide significant help to those who have suffered from the economic crisis in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic."
Shmuli stressed that, "We will be a bastion of left-wing ideology that will disallow any attempts to damage democracy, and will prevent the government from making any move toward unilateral annexation [of Judea and Samaria].
"I intend to work together with the Labor party's leader to form a strategic partnership with Benny Gantz and Blue & White, a partnership that will enable us to restore the Labor party to its natural place in the center of the political spectrum as regards its positions and its impact. I wish to thank my fellow party member Amir Peretz for his cooperation, and I am certain that, with his vast personal experience, he will make a valuable contribution toward spreading a social 'Iron Dome' over those negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis."