Amir Peretz with Orly Levy-Abekasis
Amir Peretz with Orly Levy-AbekasisTomer Neuberg/Flash 90

MK Amir Peretz, chairman of the Labor-Gesher alliance, is trying to breathe new life into a party that plunged in the last election to an unprecedented low of six seats.

In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, Peretz attacked the Blue and White party headed by Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, saying, "It's a party that has no ideological infrastructure and everyone is pulling it in a different direction. In the first act they managed to hide it, but in the second act it is already hard to hide. What is the connection between Yael German and Zvika Hauser? Between Ya'alon, who wants annexation, and Ofer Shelah who wants two states?"

Peretz is convinced that the Blue and White party will fall apart after the elections. "Blue and White is a party that has an expiration date, which is immediately after the elections. Everyone sees the effort of Blue and White to hide the rifts within the party. Blue and White will fall apart after the elections into three different parties.”

"The chances that Yair Lapid will remain in Blue and White are very small," Peretz said, adding with a half-smile, "We are all Blue and White on Independence Day, but Labor on Election Day."

Peretz revealed in the interview that he had planned to run for president, but changed his plans in the wake of the dissolution of the Knesset.

"I planned to run for president before the election campaign was announced, and many people approached me on the subject," he said. "The majority of the Israeli public sees me as a person who is fit to serve as president, in the face of the rifts in society. From the moment they declared elections and I was elected Labor leader, my mission is to rebuild the party. It will be a long 10-year journey.”

"I will not be a candidate for president in two years. I intend to dedicate everything to bring Labor back to its proper place. I hope we can build the infrastructure in the short journey, so that we can succeed in the long journey," Peretz added.