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The left wing Israeli party, Meretz, elected a new leader last night replacing Tamar Zandberg who led the party for just a year.

In his victory speech, former MK Nitzan Horowitz called on everyone who had left Meretz in the last elections for the centrist party Blue and White, to return to the party. He added: “Meretz is prepared for talks and cooperation based on our values. We are proud leftists. We need to form alliances with new groups and the heads of Arab and Druze society. Our way and values are the reason for our existence as a party. We have a historic responsibility to create a strong left. If we need be, we will be a combative opposition that they [a right-wing government] will not forget.” Horowitz becomes the first openly gay leader of a political party in Israel.

Zandberg said: “It isn’t pleasant to lose, but anyone who doesn’t lose sometimes never wins. Wishing Nitzan success.” She said the party is bigger than one individual: “It is the Israeli Left,” and vowed to stay in the party. The voter turnout was 81 per cent.

Reports have emerged that former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his newly formed party will merge with Labour if candidate MK Itzik Shmuli wins the upcoming Labour primaries. Barak and Shmuli are believed to be very close and have met several times since Barak decided to return to politics. Sources say that Shmuli is Barak’s preferred candidate.

Talking to politicians yesterday, Barak reportedly said that legal preparations should be made against the “extremist” steps that the Prime Minister is liable to take in the election campaign. “The tighter the noose, the more he is liable to take irreversible steps,” Barak claimed.

Haaretz correspondent Yossi Verter writes that Barak’s re-entry into politics: “Will likely impact the entire center-left bloc. Kahol Lavan will be pushed more toward the center-right and try to do what it barely managed to do last time – attract moderate right-wing voters”.

Senior figures in the Blue and White party have criticised Barak’s decision to return to political life, arguing that it could help Likud by taking votes away from Blue and White and helping Likud become the largest party.