Yes, I know that that it is November and not October, but the other October revolution took place in November as
well, didn't it? We hope that this one will be better than that other one.
Amir Peretz, self made labor leader, formerly head of the Histadrut, has propelled himself from virtually noplace to
become head of the Israel Labor party. Whatever other qualities he might have, he seems to be astonishingly good at
winning elections. Labor is sorely in need of that particular talent right now.
I am a good Israeli statistic - Ashkenazy (European Jewish), aging, intellectual (or with pretensions), habitual Meretz voter. Until
last night I was not a big fan of Amir Peretz, despite the endorsement he got from many people and groups I respect,
including Ameinu, Labourstart and others.
I have the greatest respect for Shimon Peres, his intellectual abilities and his commitment to peace, though many of
us can remember a different Shimon Peres. But Peres is 82 years old and he has never won an election. He has a "perfect
record." He could not even beat the anti-charismatic Itzhak Shamir decisively, even when Israel was suffering from
raging inflation and stuck in the mud of Lebanon. Until now, the Israel Labor party had nobody else.
The first person who convinced me that Peretz represents hope for progressive causes in Israel is Yosef "Tomi" Lapid,
head of the Shinui party, which claims to represent the middle class. Lapid explained on television last night that
Labor party voters are afraid that Peretz will return the Labor party to its labor roots. Lapid made me remember
who I am and what I believe. Thank you, Tomi Lapid. If Peretz does his duty perhaps we can stop the rob the poor and
feed the rich economics so beloved of Lapid and the Likud. It cannot be a great tragedy if the Israel Labor party comes
to be led by actual workers again.
The second person who convinced me that Peretz represents hope is Peretz himself. He was
interviewed by Eric Lee of Labourstart last June. Some of you may remember that Lee ran the Bibiwatch
column that appeared here at one time. Peretz told Lee that he wants to be the Menachem Begin of the left. He plans to
bring the poor and disenfranchised working people who voted the Likud into power back to the Labor party and to lead
them to peace:
I would like to be the Menachem Begin of the Labour Party, to return to it the social values and the support of the
people. If I receive from the people the same "train ticket" that they once gave to Begin, I intend to travel with it
towards peace.
That has to be the right plan, because without that big block of voters there is no hope of rallying public support
for peace. Let's face it: you can't really believe Yossi Beilin can do that, and Peres has proven he can't do that.
Ah, but you still think Peretz has no foreign policy and hates the Arabs, right? He's just a Labor leader isn't he?
Peretz also said:
I see the occupation as an immoral act, first of all. The occupation in my view is not a territorial question but one
of morality. I want to end the occupation not because of international or Palestinian pressure, but because I see in it
an Israeli interest.
Occupation has the quality... of influencing the occupier as well as the occupied.
Our children are sent on an impossible mission -- to rule over another people, and are asked to cope with impossible
situations... When a
nation rules for 38 years over another people, moral norms become twisted.
Again, Peretz has said the right words. Yossi Beilin and Shimon Peres will not make Israeli Jews love Palestinian
Arabs, any more than Mahmoud Abbas will make Palestinians love Israeli Jews. Neither side is going to make peace until
they understand that it is in their own interest.
Analysts are predicting a dire future for the Labor party. They say that its traditional supporters will desert
en-masse to Meretz, provided it remains under the leadership of Yossi Beilin, or to a new party to be started by Sharon and perhaps joined by Labor party emigres. That may happen.
Israel has had a more or less tribal sociology of voting habits since its inception. On the other hand, the same
analysts and pundits were certain that Peretz didn't have a chance at beating Shimon Peres.
It will surely be a pity if Labor's traditional following turns to Sharon or Beilin. Peretz is certainly not perfect, but he is not a perfect loser either.
He has broken the curse that prevented the Labor party from absorbing new blood and raising new and dynamic leaders
since the 1960s.
Ami Isseroff
Rehovot, Israel
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