The Labor Party conference approved on Friday the union agreement to establish the Democrats party and a series of decisions that strengthen the position and control of the party chairman, Yair Golan, over the party’s mechanism.
Despite criticism from veteran Labor circles regarding the merger agreement with Meretz that Golan signed last week, and claims that he paid too high a price for what Meretz brings to the table, the agreement was approved by an overwhelming majority of conference members, with only one member opposing.
This is Golan’s first conference since being elected chairman of the Labor Party last May, which includes about 700 new delegates elected in internal elections last month.
In addition to the merger agreement with Meretz, Golan brought to the conference for approval a decision to abolish the anachronistic role of party secretary-general, a new composition for the party’s management, and amendments allowing the party to expel members under certain conditions.
According to the agreement with Meretz, both parties will run together in the next elections on a joint list under the name “The Democrats,” with Meretz guaranteed two spots in the top ten positions.
Golan presented the agreement to the party conference members on Friday morning, stating that approving the merger is “a necessary and historic move. It changes the political reality, corrects past mistakes, strengthens the camp, reduces Netanyahu and his government’s chances of remaining in power, and represents a significant boost for us on the path to becoming a governing alternative.
What the merger agreement entitles
“Like any agreement, this one also has its costs. However, its public, moral, and political importance outweighs any cost. Meretz has been our political partner, and today, it has become part of our flesh and blood. Alongside it, many representatives from the protests and civil society are already marching with us,” Golan said.
The merger agreement between the Labor and Meretz parties was finalized before Golan was elected chairman, and since its publication, it sparked criticism among veteran Labor Party members and senior activists.
According to the agreement, the two parties are supposed to remain separate corporate and budgetary entities, and their factions in the Histadrut, national institutions, and local authorities will not be unified at this stage but will “work to create cooperation between the factions.”
The chairman of the Labor Party faction in the Histadrut, Pini Kabalo, announced on Thursday that he does not respect the agreement and is boycotting the conference, claiming it is an unauthorized decision. “A party that is supposed to serve democracy has turned into a dictatorship of one man,” he wrote.
The party’s Constitution Committee also sent a letter to Golan addressing the agreement and protesting that the official legal advisors of the Labor Party were not involved in its formulation.
However, most of the criticism is happening behind the scenes, out of fear of being perceived as obstructing the merger. Golan hinted at this in his speech at the conference on Friday when he said, “We must rise above personal considerations. We must not engage in petty politics.”
MK Gilad Kariv welcomed the decision, stating, “The overwhelming majority by which the Labor Party conference approved the merger agreement with Meretz indicates the unequivocal support of the liberal public for the move. Over the past year, we have worked with many partners in both parties to promote the merger, and from this moment on, all our efforts are dedicated to building a united political front and ousting the failing and negligent government.”
