Social Democrats: Israel's Labor Party is split on

Jerusalem - It is a dramatic step: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak joined the Socialist Labor Party. The former party leader Barak said on Monday in Jerusalem, he would start with four other deputies, a new party named Azmaut (independence). Barak comes with this step, the left wing of the party before, who had campaigned heavily for a withdrawal of the Labour Party from the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Barak wants to remain in the government coalition. The majority of the Netanyahu government, which now has 74 of the 120 seats in Parliament would be in the event of withdrawal does not jeopardize the remaining eight members of the Labor Party. "The new party will be located in the center of political, Zionist and democratic to be," said Barak, who was prime minister from 1999 to 2001.

"We set off to pastures new." The presidency of the Social Democrats he had acquired in 2007. The Labour Party has so far 13 of the 120 members in the Israeli parliament. Go with Barak Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, Agriculture Minister Shalom Simchon and the women members Einat Wilf and Orit Noked.

Background of the division is a fierce ideological factional dispute within the party. Members of the party's left wing had Barak repeatedly asked to leave the Netanyahu government, because the peace process is interrupted with the Palestinians. The Israeli radio reported that Barak's approach was agreed with Netanyahu.

The minority Social Democratic Minister Avischai Braverman said the station, Barak's move was "the culmination of a perpetual crisis in the Labour Party". He said that they had last Barak issued an ultimatum: it must either re-enter direct talks with the Palestinians or the party should resign from the government.

The left wing also wanted new elections for party chairman. "He has decided to continue with Netanyahu." Barak now have no place in the Labour Party. "This crisis offers a great opportunity to revive the party," said Braverman.

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