Uncertainty continues to reign supreme in the Labor Party. The question of when a temporary party leader will be elected is currently being debated, and various party seniors are positioning themselves for either that post or that of permanent chairman. Yossi Beilin, who until recently served in Ehud Barak\'s government but is now not even a Knesset Member - he resigned his Knesset seat upon being named Justice Minister - has submitted his candidacy, but said that he will run against anyone except Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
David Drumelovitz, a Labor Central Committee member from Jerusalem who heads the United Kibbutz Movement\'s youth activities, has also submitted his candidacy - in protest. He explained to Arutz-7 today, \"As a long-time educator to democracy, I am disgusted by the fact that within my party, there is no democracy. People basically appoint themselves to leading party positions, and free choice is unavailable, as others are wary of submitting their candidacies for various reasons... The crisis we face is not with the party membership, but with the leadership. Beilin has submitted a straw candidacy on behalf of Shimon Peres, hoping for an impassioned public call for Peres to run. I feel that Peres and others should move aside a little, and allow a new and fresher leadership to take over.\"
Peres himself continues to speak out on diplomatic issues, and said today that Israel must carry out the third withdrawal from Judea and Samaria to which the Netanyahu government agreed. At the time, then-Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the third withdrawal would not be from more than 1% of Judea and Samaria - but also made it contingent upon the Palestinians fulfilling their obligations. Peres also said today, in agreement with Barak, Clinton, Bush, and Sharon, that the Barak government\'s offers to Arafat are no longer in force, because the Palestinians rejected them and no agreement was reached.
In response to reports that Sharon was considering dismantling some Israeli communities in Gaza for an interim agreement, Peres said that he knows of no such intention. Cities of Israel reports that National Union party members have said that they would do all they can to bring down a government that would abandon isolated Jewish communities in Gaza, such as Morag, Netzarim, and Kfar Darom.
David Drumelovitz, a Labor Central Committee member from Jerusalem who heads the United Kibbutz Movement\'s youth activities, has also submitted his candidacy - in protest. He explained to Arutz-7 today, \"As a long-time educator to democracy, I am disgusted by the fact that within my party, there is no democracy. People basically appoint themselves to leading party positions, and free choice is unavailable, as others are wary of submitting their candidacies for various reasons... The crisis we face is not with the party membership, but with the leadership. Beilin has submitted a straw candidacy on behalf of Shimon Peres, hoping for an impassioned public call for Peres to run. I feel that Peres and others should move aside a little, and allow a new and fresher leadership to take over.\"
Peres himself continues to speak out on diplomatic issues, and said today that Israel must carry out the third withdrawal from Judea and Samaria to which the Netanyahu government agreed. At the time, then-Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the third withdrawal would not be from more than 1% of Judea and Samaria - but also made it contingent upon the Palestinians fulfilling their obligations. Peres also said today, in agreement with Barak, Clinton, Bush, and Sharon, that the Barak government\'s offers to Arafat are no longer in force, because the Palestinians rejected them and no agreement was reached.
In response to reports that Sharon was considering dismantling some Israeli communities in Gaza for an interim agreement, Peres said that he knows of no such intention. Cities of Israel reports that National Union party members have said that they would do all they can to bring down a government that would abandon isolated Jewish communities in Gaza, such as Morag, Netzarim, and Kfar Darom.