Leaders of the far-left Meretz party met yesterday to discuss preparations for the founding of a social-democratic party this coming autumn. The three major players scheduled to constitute the new party are the three groups that ran together on the Meretz list in the last elections:
* Meretz - which itself was formed in 1992 from three left-wing parties (Ratz of Shulamit Aloni, Mapam, and most of Shinui);
* MK Roman Bronfman's Democratic Choice party, itself a breakaway from Natan Sharansky's Yisrael B'Aliyah party;
* the new Shachar (Dawn) party of Labor-castoffs Yael Dayan and Oslo architect Yossi Beilin.
The new party hopes to model itself after social-democratic European parties. Beilin, who has not been a Knesset Member for about four years, wants to see more Labor members joining the new entity. He told Israel Radio yesterday that he knows of seven Labor MKs who, he feels, "are suited to the new party." Chief among them, Beilin said, is Labor chairman Amram Mitzna, whom Beilin said he would happily welcome into the new party. Mitzna may face a challenge to his leadership in Labor as early as four months from now. Leadership of the new left-wing party will also be up for grabs, though it looks as if Beilin has the inside track over Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid, who said he would resign after the recent national elections.
* Meretz - which itself was formed in 1992 from three left-wing parties (Ratz of Shulamit Aloni, Mapam, and most of Shinui);
* MK Roman Bronfman's Democratic Choice party, itself a breakaway from Natan Sharansky's Yisrael B'Aliyah party;
* the new Shachar (Dawn) party of Labor-castoffs Yael Dayan and Oslo architect Yossi Beilin.
The new party hopes to model itself after social-democratic European parties. Beilin, who has not been a Knesset Member for about four years, wants to see more Labor members joining the new entity. He told Israel Radio yesterday that he knows of seven Labor MKs who, he feels, "are suited to the new party." Chief among them, Beilin said, is Labor chairman Amram Mitzna, whom Beilin said he would happily welcome into the new party. Mitzna may face a challenge to his leadership in Labor as early as four months from now. Leadership of the new left-wing party will also be up for grabs, though it looks as if Beilin has the inside track over Meretz leader MK Yossi Sarid, who said he would resign after the recent national elections.