New – old party: return of Pensioners

If you think you know all the parties that may run in the 19th Knesset elections, you'll be surprised.

Tomorrow, at 11 am, a new-old party is expected to announce its running for elections: The Generation Party - the new social Pensioners Party. The Announcement will be given at the Zionists Of America House in Tel - Aviv, when delegates of the party congress will approve the main platform of the party for the upcoming elections.

As known, the party ran for the first time in 2006; this time a survey of Mina Tzemach expects it will get 3-4 seats.

The party will be headed as in the past by Rafi Eitan, and alongside him a group of experts and professionals in the fields of pensions.

Among the names expected to enroll: Prof. Amnon Caspi, adult employment specialist, retired Brigadier General and former IDF spokesman Ephraim Lapid, Dalia Nakar -a social worker who specializes in retirement and pension, Dr. Yigal Zadok, former CEO of Ashdod, Hillel Granot president of the Association for municipal companies and Medad Gissin, Chairman of the Israeli health care consumers organization.

The party was established in its initial format as the "Gil" party, for the fourteenth Knesset elections.

The party, led by Nava Arad and Moshe Sharoni did not pass the threshold.

Towards the fifteenth Knesset elections it was established under its new name, "Power Party for Pensioners', and although this time it received tens of thousands of votes it did not pass the threshold.

Towards the elections to the 17th Knesset, the party joined forces from all the committees of retirees of major organizations in the economy, including insurers, Central Pension Fund, the electric company, Bezeq, local authorities, IAI, tax office, Egged, Bank Leumi, El- Al, local authorities, the Ministry of Finance, Rafa"el, Hadassah, fuel, Israeli Postal Service, the Jewish Agency and the teachers' union - as it renewed its face.

In a preliminary conversation with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the party was promised that its representatives will integrate into real places in 'Kadima', but then Sharon was replaced by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and agreements become irrelevant. Some members of the association decided to run for office, but by reason of lack of time they decided to submit a new list using the name of the shelf Party "Gil". Nava Arad, who was among the founders of the party at the time, decided not to join, and her place in the list was taken by Rafi Eitan, a former Mossad leader and businessman at the present.

Despite the fact that the party ran for elections with organization in a short time and without having at hand the resources and a serious advertising budget, the party was the surprise of the elections for the 17th Knesset, as it received no less than seven seats.

With the establishment of the government the party won two ministries: Health Minister Yaakov Ben - Yazri, and Minister of Pensioner Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office - a position which party chairman Rafi Eitan received. In addition the party got the chairmanship roles of the Labor and Welfare Committee, a role given to chairman of the party Moshe Sharoni, and the deputy speaker of the Knesset.

On 25th July 2007 the government approved the establishment of the Ministry for Pensioners which is an independent government office.

Sharoni headed the committee until October 15, 2007, when he was ousted because of disagreement with Eitan. His place was filled by MK Yitzchak Galanti. Sharoni said upon his dismissal that he seeks the forgiveness of the senior population "which voted for my party in the elections."

In the 18th elections to the Knesset the party won -17,571 votes, did not pass the threshold and did not enter the Knesset.

Previous conflicts, separations, and public disappointment with the party's achievements preceded this.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!