The historical Labor party, which existed before the state itself, is about to undergo a profound change. Not after the elections, when in all likelihood it will shrink to a single-digit number of Knesset seats, but on Thursday night, when it is expected to ratify an amendment to the party constitution proposed by party leader Avi Gabbay. After the amendment is approved by party officials, the only connection between the party headed by Gabbay and the Labor party of old will be its name.
Gabbay will receive almost unlimited power from the party's central committee, power that no Labor leader has ever had. He will be able to reserve an unprecedented number of slots on the party ticket, giving him almost full carte blanche to mold Labor's Knesset list as he sees fit.
More importantly, after Thursday night's vote it will be virtually impossible to unseat him. The committee won't be able to pass decisions without his consent. Henceforth and indefinitely, any political initiative will first have to go through Gabbay. Essentially, Gabbay has made Labor identical to newer parties on the political scene, such as Yesh Atid, Kulanu and Hatnuah, which willingly yielded the democratic elements of party life in favor of heavily centralized, totalitarian party rule by a single leader.
But Gabbay isn't the only one to blame. The party membership, who marginalized him practically from the start, also played a role. Yes, the party's situation in the polls couldn't be much worse, but an elected chairman has to be given a chance to lead a party from the beginning to the end of an election campaign at least once before the talks of mutiny begin. How can you run a campaign against external adversaries when you're constantly under fire at home?
Gabbay is looking high and low for someone with a strong defense background. As of now, he hasn't found anyone. The Labor party isn't exactly a hot commodity. In the Likud, on the other hand, new candidates are constantly trying to squeeze into the last remaining slots on the ticket, in the hope that the ruling party will win more Knesset seats than it holds now.
The latest recruit, who joined Wednesday, is Construction and Housing Minister and former GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. (res.) Yoav Gallant, who laid the groundwork for his move over a year ago. We can assume he never dreamed of such a warm welcome. A joint press conference with the prime minister is nothing to scoff at. It's the type of gesture Netanyahu saves for special cases; for the very few candidates he truly wants to enlist.
This doesn't guarantee Gallant a senior position in the next government, and certainly not the defense portfolio. It does, however, certainly put him in better position ahead of the next elections. Years ago, as a bitter battle for the appointment of a new IDF chief played out, Gallant was Netanyahu's preference. His appointment had essentially been decided, but after allegations that he appropriated public lands for the construction of his home came out, Benny Gantz was appointed in his place. By welcoming Gallant to the party in such a public manner, Netanyahu is again pointing to his preferred general – while also making it clear whom he would completely ignore if he could.
