MK Shelly Yechimovich
MK Shelly YechimovichFlash 90

As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu struggles to put together a coalition, Labor-Hatnua is still mulling over the reasons for their epic loss. 

Speaking to Walla! News, MK Shelly Yechimovich (Labor) avoided excuses, noting that "the citizens of Israel chose Binyamin Netanyahu to become prime minister."

"If we put aside for a moment the spins, the campaigns, the errors, the benefits - at the end of the day, there are people with desires, with an agenda, and I accept the people's decision."

Yechimovich, however, didn't fail to mention the divisions between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews in Israel society, arguing that conversations on this topic must be more honest and bold. 

Addressing allegations of elitism on the Left, the MK agreed that the party has historically and continues to have "feelings of superiority." 

"We need to talk about the things Yair Garbuz said at Rabin Square. I would stress Garbuz is not a Labor voter, but a Meretz voter, and the demonstration was not organized by the Labor party." 

"But his words fell in a way that most people thought he was saying things others in our camp really felt, and they are right," she added. 

Yechimovich, the former Labor head, who lost the chairmanship to Yitzhak Herzog in 2013, dismissed a question inquiring if she was looking to re-take her position at the top of the party. 

When asked if Herzog and Tzipi Livni would continue as co-chairs of Labor-Hatnua (or the Zionist Union) in the next election, Yechimovich stressed that such a move "should not be repeated."

She added that she would most likely continue to throw her support behind Herzog, shying away from a definitive opinion whether or not Livni could someday become chair of the Labor party.  

Finally, Yechimovich conceded she had had thoughts of a unity government between the Zionist Union and Likud on the night of elections, before official results were published. 

"But this scenario does not exist anymore because Netanyahu won a great and overwhelming victory. A unity government is off the table. Netanyahu is establishing a narrow and extreme right-wing government, and unfortunately that is the will of the voters."