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explainer: Answers to your questions about the news.

No Relation No. 10

Emily Yoffe
Posted Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2001, at 6:14 PM ET

Is there any relation between Marty Peretz and the Meretz Party?

Although both are outspoken, both are involved in Israeli politics, and both want what is best for the Jews, there is absolutely no relation between The New Republic's Peretz and the far left-wing Israeli political party, Meretz. Peretz, who was born in 1939, has been the editor in chief and chairman of The New Republic for 26 years and also lectures at Harvard University. He is ardently involved in Israel and has come to oppose the Oslo accords, which were supposed to result in peace between Israel and the Palestinians, in part because he believes the Palestinians do not intend to make peace with Israel. Meretz was created in 1992 from three other political parties and means "energy" or "vitality" in Hebrew. Its politics are to the left of Labour's, and it supports the creation of a Palestinian state, Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories, and an end to Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Previously in this series, Explainer tackled the McCulloughs and Macaulays, the Gessens, Glennys, and Kaczynskis, the Cohens (three Stephens, four Richards), the Rays (two Elizabeths), the Hirschfelds (Abe and Al), the Strausses (Robert and R. Peter), the Broders (Jonathan, John M., and David), the Moores (three Michaels), and the Samuelsons (Paul, Robert, and Larry). For the "Yes, Related"Explainer on the Eskews, click here.

Have you noticed people in the news with confusingly similar names? Send your suggestions to Explainer.

Explainer thanks reader Marshal Zeringue for suggesting the question.

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Emily Yoffe is the author of What the Dog Did: Tales From a Formerly Reluctant Dog Owner. You can send your Human Guinea Pig suggestions or comments to .
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