Israeli media source reported on Saturday that senior officials of the Labor Party announced the party platform which includes the willingness to give up East Jerusalem Arab neighborhoods for a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Member of Knesset Yuli Tamir stated that the party is willing to give up Muslim neighborhoods of the city on order to strengthen the Jewish majority.
He added that the Labor party seeks to maintain control over holy Jewish sites under Israeli control.
A team of senior Labor party officials, including party Chairman Amir Peretz, put together during a meeting on Friday the platform of the party.
The platform will be unveiled during the party’s gathering on Sunday.
Also, the platform states that all settlement activities in the West Bank should be seized, and demands the full implementation of the Sasson report on illegal settlement outposts.
Regarding peace talks with the Palestinians, the party said that it will work on the renewal of peace talks which will be based on a two-state solution.
The Labor Party wants to keep Israeli control over three settlement blocs under any permanent peace deal with the Palestinians. The settlements blocks are Maali Adumim, Ariel, and Gush Atzion.
Also, the platform of the party aims to continue the construction of the Separation Wall in the West Bank, and complete it within a year.
Moving to the social domain of the platform, the party said it will work on reducing unemployment, raise the minimal wages, and enforce labor legislation, in addition to pass a compulsory pension law and increase old age allowances.
MK Tamir admitted that this platform has several similarities with the Kadima party, which is expected to win the upcoming elections in Israel by a large margin.
Tamir added that the differences between Labor and Kadima are not in the contents "but in the ability to implement the platform".
Palestinian Chief Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, welcomes the new position of the Labor party and said that it reflects a changing of positions among the Israelis and Palestinians.
He added that this is considered a step in the right direction towards a two-state solution.
