Two of Israel’s most prominent authors have publicly endorsed the new left-wing Meretz bloc and were scheduled to speak Sunday night at its campaign kickoff rally in Tel Aviv.
Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua, both writers of international renown, have been long associated with the Labor Party.
Labor officials maintained that while their defection was painful, it would not cost Labor the support of the disgruntled Likud voters that the party considers essential if it is to win the June 23 elections.
Laborites nevertheless are upset that Oz and Yehoshua might influence some traditional Labor voters to move leftward into the Meretz camp.
Meretz is an alignment of the Citizens Rights Movement, Mapam and the Center-Shinui Movement, which have a combined strength of 10 seats in the outgoing Knesset.
Its slate is headed by CRM leader Shulamit Aloni. Yair Tsaban of Mapam and Amnon Rubinstein of Shinui hold the Nos. 2 and 3 spots respectively.
A public statement signed by Oz, Yehoshua and a dozen other writers, poets and literary figures described Meretz as “the first political movement since 1967 which is clearly advocating a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on compromise” and “the firm establishment of full democracy in Israel.”
Another scheduled speaker at the Sunday night rally was Leah Shakdiel, a young religious woman from Yeroham in the Negev, who became nationally prominent through her successful struggle for election to the town’s Religious Council.
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