Nissenkorn notches up attacks over coming Histadrut leadership vote

Histadrut Labor Federation chief Avi Nissenkorn intensified the attacks on his competition in the May race for head of the union, MK Shelly Yacimovich, and her main supporter in the contest, MK Eitan Cabel.

Nissenkorn posted on his Facebook page on Monday a video of Cabel from last year, in which he praised the incumbent Histadrut chief.

“Avi has integrity and professionalism that is hard to find,” Cabel said. “I will go from house to house for him. I won’t let a hair on his head be hurt. He is the right man at the right time.”

Cabel announced Sunday that he would support Yacimovich in the race and allow her to run using the platform of a faction he formed when he ran for the Histadrut chairmanship five years ago. Cabel and Yacimovich said they would go to court to stop a maneuver by Nissenkorn to prevent her from running.

“The political deal of Shelly and Cabel will not stop the socioeconomic changes we are leading,” Nissenkorn said Monday. “They made news with their deal, but should we take them seriously?”

Nissenkorn gave a list of names Cabel has called Yacimovich in recent years: coward, dictator, party stealer, Israeli society harmer and talker who is not a doer. Cabel also said, “Shelly will finish us.”

“Don’t be misled by this odd couple,” Nissenkorn said. “I am in favor of holding elections, and I am sure of our strength.”

Cabel responded to the attack by calling it nonsense. He said he was absolutely sure that Yacimovich would obtain enough support to win.

Meanwhile, Labor leader Isaac Herzog denied a report that Professor Amir Hetsroni had joined the party and said he would not be permitted.

Hetsroni made statements after the 2015 election blaming the loss of the Zionist Union on Jews from the Muslim world and Asia. He also argued that if he could go back in time he would impose more stringent limits on immigration to Israel from such countries to prevent future Likud supporters from coming to Israel, adding that voting for the Right “is a sign of mental retardation.”