Herzog, Braverman to duke it out at Labor convention

Labor leadership candidates Isaac Herzog and Avishay Braverman will submit rival proposals at the next Labor Party convention that are intended to harm incumbent Labor chairman Ehud Barak.

Braverman submitted a proposal last week that calls for beginning the process of removing Labor from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition if the diplomatic process is not expedited.

His proposal will demand a settlement freeze and direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, two conditions the Americans are no longer requesting.

Herzog submitted his own proposal on Sunday, which calls to advance the Labor leadership primary from October 2012 to June 2011.

Both proposals will be voted on in a Labor convention expected to be held at the end of January, the first convention for the party since it joined the government more than a year and a half ago.

Braverman said he would not support Herzog’s proposal because he believes it is wrong to deal with personal politics while the party’s fate remains undetermined.

Sources close to Herzog criticized Braverman for issuing his proposal prematurely, when the United States is initiating a new diplomatic approach.

“Herzog is making a big mistake by focusing on personal aspirations that no one cares about rather than what matters, which is that real peace is properly pursued,” Braverman said. “I no longer buy indirect peace processes that are virtual and nothing but spin. We need proof that this process is for real.”

Sources close to Herzog said there was no reason for Braverman not to support his proposal. They said they believed that not only would Braverman eventually back it but so would Barak as well.

No date has been set yet for the long-awaited convention, but it must be held within 30 days of when the hundreds of signatures submitted by the candidates requesting the convention are verified as valid.

Barak’s associates expressed confidence that he could defeat both proposals. They expressed frustration with Herzog for submitting his proposal while Barak was conducting important diplomatic meetings in the United States.

Peace Now began an advertising campaign on Monday pressuring Labor ministers to quit the government. The campaign includes quotes from Barak, Herzog and Braverman about leaving the coalition if there is no peace process.

The ad reads: “There is no freeze! There is no diplomatic process! Leave the rightwing government now!”