The disintegration of Israel's left and left of center parties continued apace Wednesday, as Tzipi Livni, head of the new “Hatnu'a” (“the Movement”) party accused Labor Party officials of lying to the public about the reasons for Labor's failure to finalize its Knesset list, one day before the deadline to file lists. Labor officials have been quoted in the media in recent days as saying that Labor is in serious negotiations with Livni to join the two parties, and it is for that reason that the Labor list has not been finalized.
But sources close to Livni said Wednesday that Labor was lying. “It is just the opposite,” the sources told reporters. “In all the discussions we have had so far it is Labor that has resisted the idea of a joint list, but rather they are trying to recruit Tzipi Livni to join Labor in order to take advantage of her electoral strength. If Labor Party head Shelly Yechimovich is interested in making a deal, there is only one honorable way to make one – through direct discussions.”
Earlier, Labor postponed its central committee meeting, which was supposed to develop the list of candidates for the upcoming Knesset election. Labor officials were quoted as saying that the delay was necessary “in order to give the center-left lists to unite.”
Not to be outdone, Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid slammed Livni for her “recruting campaign,” eviscerating Kadima in order to gain Knesset members for her party, and the funding that they are entitled to. “In the past few days we have seen the self-destruction of the reputation of Tzipi Livni,” Lapid said in an interview on Army Radio. “A person who steals Knesset members and party funding after losing in that party's primaries, which were open and fair, is just dishonest. Something is going on that I do not understand. I cannot fathom why Livni was opposed to a united center-left list, but at this point, I wouldn't join a list with her.”