Ehud Barak, Meretz and Labor’s Stav Shaffir announce joint election run

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, Meretz and Labor party defector Stav Shaffir today announced a united list in September’s elections, reported the Times of Israel.

According to the details, the newly-elected Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz will head the united list’s slate, followed by Shaffir. The joint slate will run under the name “The Democratic Camp”.

Barak, meanwhile, who formed the Israel Democratic Party (Yisrael Demokratit) to contest the new elections, will be placed just 10th on the new list, “at his own insistence”, reports say.

In return, the article continued, “Barak will be guaranteed the first pick of ministerial posts if the party enters the government”.

In a statement, Horowitz, Shaffir and Barak said that creating a “‘democratic camp’ is the first and necessary step in the mission to bring the State of Israel back on track”.

According to the Times of Israel, “the announcement will likely put pressure on Peretz, who has come under fire from within his camp and across the left for his merger with Gesher leader Orly Levy-Abekasis.”

Shaffir’s decision to join this new, unified list, comes after her vocal criticism of party leader Amir Peretz’s decision to unify with Gesher and opposition to a wider opposition bloc.

Most of the top ten places on the list – aside from Horowitz, Shaffir and Barak – will go to Meretz lawmakers, with the list also including former Israeli military deputy chief of staff Yair Golan.