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Israeli Labor Party MK argues Yachimovich is no team player

Labor Party MK Erel Margalit opposes Chair Shelly Yachimovich's leadership, arguing that she has failed to garner the support of the industrial sector and lead a strong opposition socioeconomic agenda.
Confetti drops as Labour party leader Shelly Yachimovich stands on stage during an event to mark the end of the party campaign in Tel Aviv January 17, 2013. Opinion polls have shown Labour, which ruled Israel for decades but now holds only eight seats in parliament, bouncing back to second place behind Likud under new leader Yachimovich. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3CKNE
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“A leader has to know how to work with his people, push them ahead and not compete with them. But [Knesset member (MK) and head of the Labor Party] Shelly Yachimovich is like the basketball player who wants to score all the points himself, and that is not the way to win a championship.” Using analogies from the world of sports, this is how MK Erel Margalit described Yachimovich’s leadership style. 

Margalit is one of the engines pushing MK Isaac (Buji) Herzog, who will try on Nov. 21 to unseat Yachimovich. An additional player is MK Eitan Cabel as well as MK Merav Michaeli, who joined their camp recently. Margalit, too, is a Knesset freshman, but he went into politics from the top echelons of business entrepreneurship, with a well-formulated plan to reach the pyramid’s top. He has not buried his aspiration, but has put his plan on hold. For now, he is fully committed to Herzog’s victory, enjoying the team play. 

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