The Labor party list came under criticism early Friday afternoon, just over an hour after results were published.
The head of the Likud’s reactions committee, MK Ofir Akunis, termed the list “extreme left.” The list “reflects the party head, Yechimovich, who voted for Hadash,” he said.
“This is an extreme left list that enthusiastically supported the Disengagement, brought Hamas up in Gaza, and now is likely to bring Gaza to Jerusalem and Petach Tikva,” he added.
MK Miri Regev of Likud made similar remarks on her Facebook page. Labor “took a sharp turn to the left,” she said. “Figures like Stav Sapir and Merav Michaeli will pull Labor to the radical left. The Labor list doesn’t have anything to offer but ideological hitchhikers taking advantage of the summer protests to arrange a job for themselves.”
Former Kadima head Tzipi Livni, who recently announced the creation of her own party, “Movement,” joined the criticism. While spokespeople for The Movement praised the Labor representatives, they said Labor has “abandoned the diplomatic issues and turned left on social issues.”
“Just hours after Palestine became a nation, and in light of the diplomatic and security challenges [we face], The Movement led by Livni is the only alternative to Netanyahu and the extremist Likud Beytenu list,” they argued.
MK Uri Ariel (Habayit Hayehudi-Tekuma) said the list shows Labor is competing with Meretz. “Today it’s clear to the public that the choice is between a Likud-Labor coalition on the left or a Likud-Habayit Hayehudi coalition on the right,” he said.
Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, like The Movement, took the opportunity to portray itself as the only centrist option. “The political map is growing clear – Likud Beytenu clearly on the right, Labor clearly on the left, and in the center of the political map – Yesh Atid,” party sources said.