The Supreme Court ruled today (Thursday) that the Labor party is to hold primaries on January 24, just a few days before party lists for the 24th Knesset must be finalized.
MK Merav Michaeli, the party's current candidate, said', "The truth has won out. We have a chance to leave behind the small-scale maneuvering and bring the Labor party back to the forefront of real politics. I call on all members of the party to leave the games and political activism aside and join in the party's resurrection to form a stronger, more honest Labor Party that can be a significant player in the reconstruction of our country."
Gil Beilin, a rival candidate for the leadership of the Labor Party, said: "I welcome this ruling as an opportunity for change. Merav Michaeli and Itzik Shmuli are looking for an easy life, earning us no seats at all last time."
''I will ally myself only with a bloc in which the Labor party's independence can be preserved. To me, any potential alliance is only to hold us over until the next elections, when we can once again present Labor as a party of independent significance to the country."