Prime Minister Ehud Olmert telephoned MK Chaim Oron, congratulating him on his party primary victory.

Oron earlier in the week beat out MKs Zahava Gal-On and Ran Cohen in the Meretz Party leadership race, unseating Dr. Yossi Beilin.

Both Oron and the prime minister stated there was no discussion of Meretz entering into the current coalition government during the brief conversation.

As was reported earlier by YWN, Oron stated he would not entertain entering the current Kadima-led coalition, expressing his inability to understand just why the Labor Party remains in the government, which he states does not offer Labor constituents anything resembling their party’s platform.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)