Livni: Barak's split from Labor 'dirtiest act in history'

After defense minister announces creation of new faction, Kadima leader says Barak feared taking responsibility, making decisions in government.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
TzipiLivni311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
TzipiLivni311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Defense Minister Ehud Barak's split from the Labor Party is "the dirtiest act" in history, opposition leader Tzipi Livni of Kadima told Army Radio on Tuesday.
Livni criticized Barak's comments on Monday justifying his resignation from Labor, saying: "For Barak to call whoever wants peace post-Zionist is unheard of."
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"I don't know how you can leave behind your ministers to serve in a right-wing, haredi government," she said.
She added that Barak and Prime Minister Binymain Netanyahu feared taking responsibility and making decisions in the peace process.
On Monday, Barak ended an era when he announced at a surprising Knesset press conference that he and four of his allies were leaving the Labor Party and forming a new faction called Independence.
Barak and his allies said they could no longer function in Labor due to the constant threats by ministers and MKs to break up the party if it did not leave Netanyahu’s coalition.
Speaking at a press conference at the Knesset after he and four other Labor MKs submitted the request to split from Labor, Barak said he would form a new faction called 'Independence' and that it that would be "centralist, Zionist and democratic."
"We are creating a new faction and we will call on everyone who believes in our path to join."
"We are leaving for a new path. We are leaving a home and people we love," Barak continued.
"It wasn't always healthy and good for Labor. We noticed a shift towards the Left and post-Zionism," Barak said.
"This isn't easy for me. [former prime minister Ariel] Sharon, [former prime minister David] Ben-Gurion, [President Shimon] Peres did it. I didn't think I would have to do it, but we are doing it. We are going to a new path," Barak explained.