Labor Party to unveil centrist diplomatic platform

Leader Shelly Yachimovich has been under pressure from party members to set out official positions

The Labor Party is expected to release a statement Sunday outlining the party’s official positions on international issues, answering a call from Laborites who have criticized party head Shelly Yachimovich as overemphasizing domestic and economic issues.

According to a copy of the details obtained by Maariv, the position paper steers the venerable left-leaning party to a more centrist position. The document reportedly calls for increasing Israel’s deterrent capability against the Iranian threat and for a strengthening of historical ties with European allies and the US, while calling for an effort to reestablish good relations with countries once considered partners, like Turkey.

The platform calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for renewed negotiations with the Palestinians to that end, while maintaining that Israel’s security interests are a “top priority.”

Labor under Yachimovich is set to become the second-largest party in the Knesset after the January 22 elections, with the latest polls predicting around 20 seats. Party rhetoric has so far focused mainly on economic, domestic and social-justice issues.