Supreme Court sides with Peretz over Barak

Supreme Court upholds ruling forcing Labor to initiate an election for the Party's institutions.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
supreme court 224.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
supreme court 224.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
The Supreme Court turned down a petition from Labor chairman Ehud Barak on Tuesday in which he asked the court to overturn a lower court ruling forcing him to initiate an election for the Labor Party's institutions. Barak's predecessor, MK Amir Peretz, took Barak to the Tel Aviv District Court when he failed to implement a decision by internal Labor courts requiring the election to take place. When the court ruled in Peretz's favor, Barak appealed to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Justice Ester Chayut scolded Barak for repeatedly trying to avoid the election and bypass party rules. She also reportedly scolded Barak's lawyers for wasting the court's time. Peretz declared victory and his associates said he would use the election to amass more power inside the party at Barak's expense. Barak's associates said that holding the internal race would interfere with the party's preparations for the November municipal elections. The Labor central committee will convene at Tel Aviv University on Wednesday to set a date for the internal races. Barak also suffered a blow on Monday when his erstwhile foe, Minister-without-Portfolio Ami Ayalon, said at a pre-Pessah toast in Givatayim that Labor was suffering from a severe leadership crisis. "The leadership crisis in Labor is written on the wall in every language," Ayalon told Labor activists, "leadership must generate hope and a feeling of togetherness. The current Labor leadership is not doing either of these."