Yacimovich vows to stay in Labor even if she loses

Labor leadership contender calls on other candidates to do the same at Tel Aviv rally.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
Shelly Yacimovich 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Shelly Yacimovich 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Labor leadership contender Shelly Yacimovich promised Wednesday to remain in the party even if she loses the September 12 primary, and she called upon the other four candidates in the race to do the same.
Yacimovich spoke at a rally she hosted at Tel Aviv’s Kibbutz Seminar that attracted a thousand supporters, including hundreds of young people and most notably, President Shimon Peres’s granddaughter, Noa Walden, who recently joined the party. Walden read aloud on stage from Yacimovich’s new book, We, which the candidate launched at the event.
“Labor has been given a huge window of opportunity paving the party’s way back to the center of political attention where it can have renewed influence,” Yacimovich said. “The socioeconomic debate affects all of us from birth to old age. This debate is here to stay and Labor, under me, will be the only party that could really serve as an alternative to the right-wing economic and diplomatic policies of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.”
Yacimovich received endorsements at the event from Ra’anana Mayor Nahum Hofree and author Yoram Kaniuk.
Earlier Wednesday, the secularist organization Hidush released the findings of a questionnaire filled out by candidates.
The only candidate willing to rule out sitting in a government with religious parties was former chairman Amram Mitzna.
“I wouldn’t rule out a deal with haredi parties if there is an historic opportunity to reach a peace agreement or advance a real social democratic agenda that would advance equality in Israeli society,” Yacimovich wrote in an answer on the questionnaire.