"We don't take votes from anyone," Meretz Chairman MK Haim Oron tells participants.
By SHELLY PAZhaim oron 248.88(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The New Move (Hatnua Hahadasha), a new group comprised of former Labor politicians and left-wing intellectuals that support Meretz was officially launched on Friday afternoon at Tel Aviv's Tzavta Theater, hours after the Labor Party presented its Knesset candidates list.
Group members are expected to eventually become Meretz members.
"We don't take votes from anyone," Meretz Chairman MK Haim Oron told the participants, referring to Labor's accusations that Meretz is weakening the Left when it appeals to Labor's voters.
"When the Labor Party said it was more Meretz than Meretz, we didn't complain. We turn to the members of the party of the desperate and the apathetic - these are the people we want," Oron said.
Oron slammed the Likud's parade of "stars" who have been joining it in recent weeks. "We were looking for people who can join us. We didn't bring [former justice minister Dan] Meridor and [former science minister] Bennie Begin, who are two opposites. We want to strengthen the social democrats in Israel," Oron added.
Among the familiar faces who attended the meeting were author Amos Oz, actress Gila Almagor and Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer, a former dean of the Hebrew University Law Faculty.
Former Labor MK Tzali Reshef, one of the founders of the new group, said its members were sure they could become the largest left-wing movement in Israel and the third largest party in the country.
"Oron is the right person to lead the biggest party on the Left out of the leaders of other left-wing parties," he said.
