Barak bloc? Former prime minister said to be considering creating party

Channel 13 reports that former Prime Minister Ehud Barak is discussing the possible creation of a new party ahead of re-do elections.

JUNE 16, 2019 04:45

Ehud Barak (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/ REURERS) — Ehud Barak

(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/ REURERS)

Former prime minister Ehud Barak is trying to revive his short-lived Independence Party – which was founded in January 2011 and dissolved in December 2012 – into a team of well-known public figures that will run in the September 17 election, according to TV news reports broadcast on Friday night. According to the reports, Barak hopes to merge Independence with Labor, and run together.

Barak met with former IDF deputy chief of staff Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Yair Golan last week to discuss the possibility of the two men working together, Channel 13 reported.

KAN news reported that in addition to Golan, other high-profile people Barak is considering include former ministers Tzipi Livni, Dan Meridor and Bennie Begin, Haredi Women’s College founder Adina Bar-Shalom and Arab journalist Lucy Aharish.

Although he did not confirm or deny the reports, Barak indicated that he would soon have developments to announce.

“There is interest in my political plans on TV tonight,” he wrote on Twitter. “As soon as I will have what to say, you will see and hear it from me directly. Anything else at this stage is gossip.”

A source close to Barak told The Jerusalem Post the reports “nonsense” and “wishful thinking of idiots” who are no longer close to Barak.

The source said Barak meets a lot of people and all options are still open, including running in Labor.

Outgoing Labor leader Avi Gabbay told Yediot Aharonot over the weekend that he wanted Barak to replace him and that he was pushing him to run in the July 2 leadership primary against MKs Amir Peretz, Itzik Shmuli and Stav Shaffir.

In an early June interview to the 103 FM radio program The Cabinet, Golan said that recent events in the country’s political life are a “disgrace” and claimed Netanyahu is “suffering from corruption.” He added that he means to create a coalition that will legislate “dangerous and destructive laws” to serve him.

Golan, however, also said that “the fact I am willing to enter politics doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”

Hagay Hacohen and Maariv contributed to this report.