Partners for Progressive Israel Condemns Labor Party Joining Netanyahu Coalition

Partners for Progressive Israel Condemns Labor Party Joining Netanyahu Coalition

Partners for Progressive Israel joins the Israeli Meretz Party and the World Union of Meretz in condemning the reported decision of the chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, MK Amir Peretz, to join the coalition-in-preparation to be led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The formation of this coalition betrays innumerable promises that Peretz made in the recent election campaign that he would never join a coalition with Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Peretz’s decision dissolves the electoral coalition between Meretz and Labor, whose primary object was to prevent Netanyahu from leading a new government.

Meretz is thus the sole Zionist party which espouses no annexation, an end to the occupation, narrowing of the horrendous income inequality, and equal rights for all Israeli citizens. We call on all those who still uphold these bedrock values to support Meretz, Partners for Progressive Israel, and affiliated organizations in order to return Israel to the path of liberal democracy and civil liberties, and to oppose the new Netanyahu government in its attempts to stifle dissent and expand settlement in the occupied territories.

We recognize that Israel, in common with the rest of the planet, faces the immediate coronavirus crisis, and we will support all necessary measures to limit its spread and protect the Israeli population, as well as Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, whose success in combating Covid-19 is necessarily entwined with that of Israelis. Nevertheless, we will rigorously insist that all measures involve the minimum interference with civil liberties and that they not be perpetuated any longer than necessary to combat the virus.

We call on all those who support our views to denounce Labor’s capitulation and to join with us in building an Israel based on the values of peace, civil liberties for all, and equality.

Paul Scham                                                           April 6, 2020
President, Partners for Progressive Israel