Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 02/1 1 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 02. – 19. Januar 2011 1. Ehud Barak verlässt Arbeitspartei Der Vorsitzende der Arbeitspartei und Verteidi­gungsminister Ehud Barak verkündetet am 17. Januar seinen Austritt aus der Arbeitspartei. Gemeinsam mit vier weiteren Labor-Abgeordneten gründete er eine neue Fraktion mit dem Namen "Atzmaut"("Unabhängigkeit"), die weiterhin an der Regierung beteiligt sein wird. Die übrigen acht Abgeordneten der Arbeitspartei, darunter Sozialminister Isaac Herzog und Minder­heitenminister Avishai Braverman, schlossen sich der Opposition an. Die Regierung verfügt damit jetzt über eine Mehrheit von 66 Abgeordneten. Barak hatte angegeben, die Arbeitspartei sei zu weit nach links gerückt. Tatsächlich war in der Partei schon seit Monaten diskutiert worden, die Regierung aufgrund des stagnierenden Friedensprozesses mit den Palästinensern zu verlassen. Barak hatte dies jedoch abgelehnt. Labor in pieces Ehud Barak’s announcement[…] strengthened Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s hand – by eliminating fears that all of Labor’s 13 MKs would leave the coalition in protest against the lack of headway being made in talks with the Palestinians – though the coalition, reduced to 66 members, is now unprecedentedly vulnerable to potential extortion by one or other of its constituent parties.[…] Barak and the quartet who followed him may ultimately join the Likud. They may honor B arak’s pledge to form yet another centrist party. They may simply disappear in the next elections.[…] Barak’s defection is a hammer blow, but it is also emblematic of a deeper ideological crisis on the Left." JPO 17.01.10 Editorial A separation and an opportunity "The split in Labor, including the departure of eight Labor MKs from the coalition, holds a big opportunity for the left wing, which until yesterday was hardly represented in the Knesset. A bloc will now form around three banners- social justice, advancing peace and saving democracy. Such a bloc will provide an alternative to the ideology of hatred. Its very existence will force opposition party Kadima, too, to take a firmer position against Netanyahu and his government, and present an alternative to Netanyahu and Barak's policy of entrenchment and stagnation." HAA 18.01.11 Editorial Barak saved Netanyahu "Ehud Barak’s departure from Labor signifies more than revulsion with fellow faction members, but rather, was meant to assist Benjamin Netanyahu vis-à-vis Lieberman and his rightist colleagues, who are steering the government too far to the Right.[…] The Barak faction will be a sort of'leftist faction' of Likud.[…] Barak may even end up bringing Aryeh Deri, who wishes to return to politics, into his faction, without Deri’s radical associates and without Shas. Possibly some Kadima members too, who are more Likudnik than Barak and Bibi, will join forces with the faction, which together with Netanyahu will rule Israel." Yoram Kaniuk, JED 17.01.11 New era for Israel's Left "Everyone recites the agreed-upon PR message, 'we boosted the coalition.' What nonsense![…] After all, Netanyah u’s stability hinges on Lieberman and on nobody else.[…] This threat had been reinforced by the latest move. Now, the prime minister’s sensitive organs are being held much more tightly in 1