US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV4029

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 004029 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/27/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, IS, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: LABOR PARTY PRIMARIES POSTPONED, PERHAPS TO 
NOVEMBER 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 3894 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Norman Olsen for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) The Labor Party Central Committee's June 26 decision 
to postpone party chairmanship primaries -- originally 
scheduled for June 28 -- until after an open-ended 
investigation into party registration irregularities, could 
delay the primaries until after disengagement and possibly 
until November, after the Jewish holidays.  Former candidate 
for prime minister Labor MK Amram Mitzna told poloff June 27 
that the date of the Labor primaries is a "65 thousand dollar 
question," but speculated that they would likely be put off 
until November.  Mitzna said that an alternative time would 
be at the beginning of September, during implemenation of 
disengagement, but that timing would make any second round 
voting fall during the Jewish holiday period.  Mitzna said 
that within two or three days, the general timeframe for the 
primaries will be clearer. 
 
2.  (C) The Labor Party Central Committee debate on the 
postponement was cut short June 26 when a brawl broke out 
between former MK Addiso Masala, a supporter of candidate 
Amir Peretz, and supporters of candidate and former PM Ehud 
Barak.  Newly elected party Secretary General Eital Cabel 
quickly closed the debate on the two motions and brought them 
to a vote: Cabel's proposal to postpone the primaries until 
sometime after the investigation into membership drive 
irregularities, and Peretz's proposal to postpone the 
primaries by only three weeks.  Some 60 percent of Central 
Committee members approved Cabel's proposal.  Mitzna 
estimated that the investigation will take at least one month 
to complete, noting that investigators will be confirming the 
membership of each of the party's some 80,000 new members. 
3.  (C) Observers speculate that of the five party leadership 
candidates, Peretz could lose the most from the postponement, 
since a drawn out race could slow the campaign momentum that 
lifted him this past week to the number two spot, behind 
interim party Chairman and Vice Premier Shimon Peres. 
Mitzna, for example, said that there is "no doubt" that 
Peretz will lose momentum.  Mitzna assessed that Barak, Matan 
Vilna'i and Binyamin Ben-Eliezer would likely benefit from a 
longer delay.  Barak gained critical support in the last two 
weeks, moving from last place to third.  Peres first 
advocated a three-week delay, but eventually supported the 
open-ended delay, reportedly after meeting with Cabel June 
24.  As current front runner, Peres could well lose support 
in a longer race, but, as Mitzna noted, he could also gain 
support, since he remains in a very visible a government 
leadership position. 
 
4.  (C) Asked about the party repercussions after the brawl 
at the Central Committee meeting, Mitzna said that it 
actually might have been a good thing for the party. 
Elaborating, Mitzna said that the party appears to have hit a 
low, and perhaps there can be a real chance now "to clear the 
roads." 
 
********************************************* ******************** 
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website. 
********************************************* ******************** 
KURTZER