Speaking at a press conference Monday afternoon, Isaac Herzog said that he is glad Barak left the party as it presents a chance to save the Labor party. Herzog said that he notified Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a short while earlier that he was quitting the government. He added that he hoped Labor Ministers Avishay Braverman and Binyamin Ben-Eliezer would join him shortly. Herzog said he spoke to party officials about preserving party unity and to decide on a date for new primary elections.
Herzog said that today, "Labor returns to being the political home of even those who felt betrayed by it."
Speaking in English, he concluded: "We will serve the people from the opposition. The Netanyahu government has come to a standstill in the peace process and in dealing with Lieberman's racist undertones. I will work with my colleagues to save the party."
Speaking prior to Barak's announcement, Labor MK Eitan Cabel told Israel Radio that the Labor Party has drifted from its core values in the past two years. He said the party needs to reflect and regroup following Barak's announcement.
Specifically, Cabel said that regarding the peace process and social issues, the Labor party has lost its way. He added that he thinks it is very important to strengthen all of the parties to the left of Kadima.
Cabel said that the Labor MKs remaining in the party would need to "restore their house" to its basic principles.
