Shimon Peres intends to leave the Labor Party and intends to join Sharon’s next government, it is not clear if will be joining Sharon’s new party Kadima, senior advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon said.
Lior Horev, the advisor of Sharon, said that Peres will not be joining Kadima, and added that Peres will hold a press conference on Wednesday.
“Peres will leave the Labor party, and will join Sharon’s next government”, Horev stated, “He will deal with the (development) of the Galilee”, referring to the Israeli plan to develop constructions and projects in Galilee settlements.
Peres, talking from Barcelona on Tuesday, said that he will decide tomorrow night, but he spoke of Sharon warmly and none of Labor party.
"The real change is not in the Labor Party”, he said, “It is in the Likud," he added.
Also, Peres stated that Sharon has taken a different direction for a Palestinian state, and that “he [Sharon] wants to resume the peace process with the Palestinians”.
Earlier Tuesday, Labor member of Knesset Dalia Itzik, announced she is joining Kadima party.
Itzik, who is close to Peres, and a senior Labor party official, hinted that Peres would do like her.
Meanwhile, Labor secretary general, Eitan Cabel, told the army radio on Tuesday, that the latest developments “look like a package deal”.
“We spoke about remaining at the Labor party, instead of leaving to another one”, Cabel said, “The talks with us were nothing but a smokescreen”.
It is worth mentioning that Shimon Peres lost the leadership of the Labor Party earlier this month to Amir Peretz, but did not say if he will be leaving the party before the general elections in March 28, 2006.
”This is not an easy decision”, Peres said in remarks broadcast Monday before leaving Israel for an EU-Mediterranean summit in Barcelona, “It will take another day or two before I make a decision”.
