Senior PA leaders have offered financial and other help to Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna in his bid to become Labor Party leader. Mitzna, who is running against the incumbent Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Chaim Ramon, acknowledged that he had been approached by Arab elements, but said that he refused any and all Palestinian involvement in his electoral campaign. Mitzna has acknowledged having long-standing connections with the Palestinian Authority.
An editorial in HaTzofeh newspaper today asserted that most Israelis were not surprised by the report of the Arab offers to Mitzna, "because his political outlook is somewhere between Meretz and even further left… There is no doubt that all the Arab states and all of Europe would like to see Mitzna as Prime Minister.” The paper calls on Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein to investigate “this gross interference in the State of Israel’s democratic processes.”
Internal elections for Labor leader will be held on Nov. 19. Polls showed that Mitzna had a strong lead over Ben-Eliezer when he first entered the race two months ago, but support for his candidacy has been dropping steadily since.
An editorial in HaTzofeh newspaper today asserted that most Israelis were not surprised by the report of the Arab offers to Mitzna, "because his political outlook is somewhere between Meretz and even further left… There is no doubt that all the Arab states and all of Europe would like to see Mitzna as Prime Minister.” The paper calls on Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein to investigate “this gross interference in the State of Israel’s democratic processes.”
Internal elections for Labor leader will be held on Nov. 19. Polls showed that Mitzna had a strong lead over Ben-Eliezer when he first entered the race two months ago, but support for his candidacy has been dropping steadily since.