"Political wheeler-dealership won this evening. If Meretz doesn't open up, it will simply cease to exist," said Meretz Party head Zehava Gal-On on March 14. Her disappointment and frustration were completely understandable. She was responding to a decision that day by her party's Central Committee to reject her proposal to hold open primaries for the party leadership.
Opposition to Gal-On's proposal was led by Knesset member Ilan Gilon, who also plans to run for the leadership of Meretz in the next election. Reports on Gal-On's defeat focused on the political significance of this infighting within Meretz. Unfortunately, the important debate over whether to open up the primaries was pushed to the side.