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Zionist Camp, leftist Meretz battle over base

Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Gal-On is campaigning to preserve her party's constituency, which is turning toward the Zionist Camp list in hopes of an electoral upset.
Israeli Meretz party members Nitzan Horowitz (2nd from R), Zehava Galon (C) and Issawi Frej (c-L) take part in a visit of the "Al-Shuhada" street in the West Bank city of Hebron on February 25, 2014 in support of Palestinians who were forced out of the old quarter at the outset of the second Palestinian intifada by the Israeli army to allow for Jewish settlers to move securely in the area. Today also marks the 20th anniversary of the massacre of 29 Palestinian Muslim worshipers by Jewish extremist Baruch Go
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In close talks with leftist activists this week, Meretz chairwoman and Knesset member Zehava Gal-On asked, “Why should we believe them? There’s no reason for the Meretz Party to sit on the fence for the sake of the Zionist Camp, just so they can join a coalition with [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett after the elections. I’ve seen this … with Tzipi Livni before, back in 2009, when she emptied us out of voters. She didn’t become prime minister in the end, and she almost eliminated us, too.” Gal-On was responding to the question of whether Meretz’ new campaign harms the chances of Labor Party chairman and Zionist Camp co-leader Isaac Herzog to put together the next government.

Gal-On swallowed, looked straight ahead and explained that she has no intention of apologizing or justifying herself. She has a party to lead into the elections, and she will not be Zionist Camp co-leader Livni’s cannon fodder again. “This time I’m not going to pay the price, and I have no reason to, either,” said an emotional Gal-On. “I’m saying that we will support Herzog as prime minister, but who can guarantee that he and Livni will not join a coalition with Netanyahu? They’ve already done that before. In the last elections, Livni explained to everyone how dangerous Netanyahu is, and yet she was still the first person to sign a coalition agreement with him and join his government.”

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