Barak supporters fear `mega deal’ in Labor primaries

Braving a fog of tensions and amid persistent rumors of done deals and hit lists, Labor’s 116,948 registered members will head for the polls Tuesday to vote for the party list that will contest the next Knesset elections. Labor’s leaders hope the primary will infuse new life into the party, end the internal bickering and turn around its flagging condition in the opinion polls. The party was agitated Monday by rumors of a „mega deal” between party chairman Amir Peretz’ camp and MK Benjamin Ben Eliezer’s camp. The victims of the deal would be the veteran Knesset members and those identified with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Their names will be omitted from the list of candidates which both Peretz’ and Ben Eliezer’s supporters will support. Party sources said Monday that the reported deal between Peretz and Ben Eliezer’s people could become a coalition to keep Barak out of the party leadership. The deal reportedly includes adding Arye Amit – whom Peretz brought into the party – to the list supported by Ben Eliezer’s people. In exchange, Peretz’s people will add Ben Eliezer’s confidant Danny Atar to their list. However, senior party sources believe that the large number of voters will reduce the effect of the deals, and will reflect the candidates’ real popularity. MKs Isaac Herzog, Ophir Pines, Ben Eliezer, Yuli Tamir and the new candidates Ami Ayalon and Avishai Braverman are expected to vie for the first slots on the list. The first 10 slots will probably also include MK Matan Vilnay and former TV journalist Shelly Yachimovich. A senior party source said Monday that veteran MKs Dan Yatom and Efraim Sneh are contending for their place on the list against new rivals such as Amit, Atar, millionaires Ofer Kornfeld and Avi Shaked, former consul Alon Pinkas and others. People close to MKs Vilnay, Yatom and Sneh were worried yesterday that the cooperation between the Peretz and Ben Eliezer camp might harm their chances and squeeze them out of the top slots. „It’s up to Peretz to prove that there are no deals and no foul play,” a party source said. Peretz and Ben Eliezer denied that they were involved in any deals, and were not recommending or blacklisting people. However, dozens of lists are being distributed among Labor activists. The most prestigious lists are those issued by Histadrut leaders and the large labor unions. Additional deals have been closed among the Romanian immigrants’ association, the kibbutz and moshavim movements, and in the Arab and Druse communities. The primary will be held in 354 voting centers. Labor secretary general MK Eitan Cabel estimated the voter turnout at 65 percent to 70 percent, depending on the weather. Stormy weather is expected to enhance the effect of the unions’ deals, as they are the most organized in getting their people to the polls. Labor presented its new campaign staff Monday, after the departure of its two main advisers Moti Morel and Shmulik Cohen. The staff will be headed by Roni Rimon, who formerly worked with Labor’s two rivals, Ehud Olmert (Kadima) and Benjamin Netanyahu. American public opinion adviser Stanley Greenberg, who formerly worked with U.S. President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Barak, will work alongside Rimon.