Avi Naim, head of the Beit Aryeh council, responded on Monday evening to the election of former minister Avi Gabbay as chairman of the Labor party.
“Tonight there was a sensation in the Labor party which elected a new and young candidate who promised a refreshing leadership that would take over the country's leadership,” said Naim.
“But Avi Gabbay has no chance. He may have been elected to lead, but the other candidates lost more than he won.
“There is nothing refreshing in Amir Peretz, Amiram Levin, Buji Herzog and Omer Bar-Lev. They all lack political charisma and leadership. Some have disappointed in the past and this was an opportunity [for Labor members] to exact revenge on them.
“Erel Margalit, the only one from whom there was a refreshing breath of fresh air, chose a negative and delusional campaign and ruined his chances of getting into the top.
“On the day after the celebration of the victory, the dust will settle and Gabbay's opinions will be exposed to the public, who will disapprove of them and will not elect him. One needs only to listen to Gabbay’s recent interviews in order to understand his views:
“1. Gabbay favors a Palestinian state - in the reality of the disintegration of countries in the Arab world, of terrorism and radical Islam, supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state is an unfortunate statement that is detached from reality.
“2. Gabbay is in favor of the division of Jerusalem - a statement that marks the crossing of a red line in the Israeli public and reminds one of Peres's defeatism.
“3. Gabbay is in favor of Olmert's plan in Judea and Samaria - giving up 98 percent of Judea and Samaria and exchanging territories for the remaining 2 percent - even extreme leftists understand that this will never happen.
“4. Gabbay said, ‘I also eat kosher.’ Of course, it is the right of every person to behave any way he chooses, but in the political world such a statement is interpreted, among the religious public and the religious parties which are the balance, as a condescending statement that burns every bridge for future cooperation.
“The people of Israel are going to the right while Gabbay and Labor go to the left. Lapid looks at him from the side and chuckles to himself, ‘If only Gabbay would have learned from the mistakes I made in the past.’
“The Labor party, which in the past was a large party and an alternative to the government, elected this evening an extreme leftist leader who might turn the remnants of the historic Labor party into an alternative to Meretz. It will not be a ruling party,” concluded Naim.