Reform rabbi given realistic slot in Democratic Union
Peretz passes deal with Gesher
By GIL HOFFMANA poster promoting Rabbi Gilad Kariv(photo credit: Courtesy)
Rabbi Gilad Kariv, head of the Reform movement in Israel, was given the 11th slot – which could be a realistic slot – on the Democratic Union list on Wednesday.Kariv ran for Knesset in the April election in Labor’s 25th slot, and was the only Labor candidate who endorsed MK Stav Shaffir in the July 2 party leadership race.Shaffir left Labor last Thursday to form the Democratic Union with Meretz and former prime minister Ehud Barak. She received the second slot for herself, the eighth for Green Movement leader and former Zionist Union MK Yael Cohen-Paran and the 11th slot for Kariv.The Democratic Union was predicted to win 12 seats according to a Channel 13 poll last Thursday night, but fewer by other pollsters. Channel 13 pollster Camil Fuchs had the most accurate exit poll in the April election.Kariv said he was proud to be part of the Democratic Union and thanked Shaffir for giving him a chance.“Israel more than ever needs courageous leadership that is willing to fight for the character and values of the state, including social justice and pursuing peace, freedom of religion and conscience, Jewish-Arab coexistence and clean governance,” Kariv said. “After tough years of nationalist racism and harming Israel’s relations with Diaspora Jewry, I am confident that the Democratic Union will bring good news on these fateful issues.”Labor leader Amir Peretz had offered him the 19th slot on the Labor list. Peretz ended up giving the 14th slot to former MK Nachman Shai and the 15th to Amit Yifrach from the Moshavim movement. He also has the eighth slot reserved for a candidate of his choice.Wednesday’s Labor convention approved an agreement reached by Peretz with the socioeconomic Gesher Party of former MK Orly Levy-Abecassis by a wide margin.Peretz told the crowd at the convention at Tel Aviv University that he could succeed by wooing voters away from the Right thanks to the agreement, while the Democratic Union would not shift a single vote from the Right.He said both Likud and Blue and White were disconnected from the public.“Likud voters are not the problem, but they could be the solution,” Peretz said.Earlier Wednesday, the Tel Aviv District Court rejected an appeal by Labor candidates Michal Biran and Emily Moatti against Peretz for reserving slots on the Labor list at their expense.
