Labor party leader Avi Gabbay, under whose charge the party collapsed in the April 9 election – winning an all-time low of six seats – is not expected to run again in the party primaries, reports on Monday said.
However, the Labor leadership has offered Gabbay a deal whereby the No. 2 slot on the Labor list would be reserved for him. The Labor central committee is expected to vote on the proposal this Wednesday.
The news that Gabbay might to try to secure the top spot in Labor came on the heels of an announcement by former GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. (res.) Tal Russo – a political neophyte who joined Labor ahead of the April election – that he would not be running for the Knesset on the Labor list in September.
In a post on his Facebook page, Russo wrote: "I entered politics about four months ago with big plans to make changes in the Labor party and, no less, the state of Israel. In the reality in which we find ourselves, party primaries and the selection of a new party leader so close together do not allow me to do the things I so hoped to do. I do not want to be part of the battle for succession, so I'm revoking my candidacy for the position of Labor leaders and from the list for the 22nd Knesset."
Russo expressed his thanks to the party members and to the "public at large" for their support.
"I will continue to work for the public good in other ways. Good luck to us all," he ended his message.
