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Senior Kadima Party Officials to Vie for Leadership The Candidates: Dichter, Livni, Mofaz, Sheetrit Israel Political Parties in the 17th Knesset Press Release, July 30, 2008: Israeli Prime Minister Announces End of Premiership Following Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s announcement on July 30 that he won’t participate in his Kadima party’s Sept. 17 primary, [1] four candidates have emerged as the likely successors for the party’s leadership. The winner of the primary, if successful in forming a new coalition government, would succeed Olmert as prime minister. [2]
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who also holds the position of vice prime minister, is seen as the favorite to succeed Olmert and leads in the most recent polls. [3] Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister, is second in the running. Both Livni and Mofaz have publicly stated that they plan to run in the September primary. The other likely candidates are Public Security Minister Avi Dichter and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit. [4]
The Kadima party was formed in 2005 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a centrist bloc with a mission of unilaterally disengaging from the Gaza Strip. Sharon suffered a stroke on Jan. 4, 2006 and Olmert, deputy prime minister at the time, became acting prime minister in Sharon’s stead. Olmert then led Kadima to electoral victory in 2006 and the party became the biggest faction in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) with 29 seats. Olmert assembled a coalition government with the Labor and Shas parties and other smaller groups. [5]
The Candidates (in alphabetical order) Avi Dichter is a Knesset member from the Kadima party and became Israel’s minister for public security in 2006. He served as director of the General Security Services (Shabak) – Israel’s internal security service – from 2000 to 2005. [7]
Dichter’s term as head of the Shabak coincided with the Second Intifada. In response to the wave of Palestinian attacks, Dichter strengthened the Shabak’s emphasis on fighting terrorism within Israel and supported the targeted killings of terrorist leaders. [8] He also helped then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plan the West Bank security fence and became a major supporter of Sharon’s withdrawal from Gaza. [9] In his current position, Dichter is responsible for public security, law enforcement and prisons. [10] He has made cooperation with international counterterrorism efforts a priority. [11]
Dichter is also one of the candidates for the Kadima party leadership. Following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s announcement that Olmert would not run in the September 2008 party primary, Dichter said Olmert’s decision was a “correct and brave decision for the State of Israel, the Kadima movement, and himself personally.” [12] Avi Dichter was born in Ashkelon, a city in southern Israel. [13] After serving under Ehud Barak in an elite unit of the Israel Defense Forces, Dichter joined the Shabak, where he learned Arabic. [14] In 1992 he was appointed director of the security service’s southern district, which includes the Gaza Strip. [15] Following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, Dichter overhauled the Shabak division responsible for the protection of political officials. [16] Dichter served as a fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution in 2005. He earned a BA in psychology and criminology from Bar-Ilan University and an executive MBA from Tel Aviv University. [17] Tzipi Livni Tzipi Livni is a member of Knesset for the Kadima party and Israel’s foreign minister and vice prime minister. [18] The only other Israeli woman to have been foreign minister and subsequently go on to become Israel’s first female prime minister was Golda Meir. [19] Livni was first elected to the Knesset in 1999 on the right-leaning Likud party list. She served as a member of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, the Committee on the Status of Women, and chairwoman of the subcommittee responsible for legislation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Law. [20] In 2001, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon appointed Livni minister of the regional cooperation and agriculture portfolios, and in 2003 she held the portfolios of Immigrant Absorption, Housing and Construction and Justice and Foreign Affairs. In 2005, Livni followed Sharon and joined his newly formed Kadima party. She was instrumental in brokering Israel’s disengagement from Gaza, which she and Sharon viewed as their primary achievement, as it illustrated Israel’s willingness to achieve peace with the Palestinians. [21] On Israeli-Arab relations Livni stated, “We as leaders should encourage and cement…understanding between the two peoples. For peace also is built on the desire of people to coexist peacefully and mutual respect.” [22] In 2006, Livni was appointed vice prime minister and minister of foreign affairs in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s administration. Additionally, she served as minister of justice from November 2006 to February 2007. [23] Livni has said she would run in the Kadima party primary election in September 2008, stating, “I want to be prime minister... in order to carry out changes and corrections because [the public] no longer has confidence in politicians and this confidence should be restored.” [24] Born in Tel Aviv in 1958, Livni is the daughter of three-term Knesset Member Eitan Livni. [25] Before beginning her political career, Livni was an officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and held a classified post with the Israeli Mossad. [26] She is married with two children and currently lives in Tel Aviv. [27] Shaul Mofaz Lieut.-Gen. (res.) Shaul Mofaz is a Knesset member in the Kadima party and is currently Israel’s transportation minister and a member of Israel’s Security Cabinet. [28] Mofaz served as defense minister under former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and was also the IDF chief of staff. [29] Mofaz was born in Iran in 1948 and immigrated to Israel in 1957. In 1966 he joined the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade and fought in the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War. He participated in Operation Entebbe and was commander of the Paratroopers Brigade during the 1982 Lebanon War. [30]
After the end of his term as IDF chief of staff, Mofaz joined the Likud party and was appointed defense minister by Sharon in 2002. He oversaw Israel’s successful campaign against Palestinian terrorism during his tenure as defense minister between 2002 and 2006. During this period, Israeli civilian fatalities due to terrorism declined from a peak of 451 in 2002 to 30 in 2006. [31] In December 2005, Mofaz left the Likud party to join Sharon’s newly formed Kadima faction. Mofaz has already stated that he plans to vie for Kadima’s leadership. Following Olmert’s announcement that he would not run in the Kadima primary elections in September, Mofaz stated that if elected as party head, he would “assemble a national unity government and a national emergency government; as broad as possible.” [32] Regarding negotiations with the Palestinians he said, “My involvement in the negotiations would be substantial.” [33] Mofaz received a BA in business administration from Bar-Ilan University and attended the Command and Staff College of the US Marine Corps. He subsequently served as commander of the IDF Officers School. He is married with four children. [34] Born in 1948, Meir Sheetrit immigrated to Israel in 1957 from Morocco. [35] He is a member of the Kadima party and the current interior minister. Sheetrit was first elected to the Knesset in 1981 on the Likud party list. From 1981 to 2001, he served on various committees and was also deputy speaker of the Knesset. [36] From February to July 1999 1999, he served as minister of finance. In March 2001, he became the minister of justice, a role he held for nearly two years until February 2003. Sheetrit served as minister without portfolio in the Finance Ministry from February 2003 until July 2004, was then appointed acting minister of transportation and road safety, and officially received the portfolio in August 2004. [37] Sheetrit left the Likud party in 2005 and joined former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s new Kadima faction. [38] He was appointed minister of education, culture and sport, a post he filled from January to May of 2006. He then became minister of housing and construction, and served in this position from May 2006 to July 2007. Sheetrit is expected to run in the coming Kadima primaries. Regarding his suitability for the position of prime minister, Sheetrit stated in late July 2008, “I was minister of finance, housing, transportation, the interior [sic]. The public can judge us according to our record, according to our actions.” [39] Before entering the Knesset, Sheetrit was mayor of the city of Yavneh from 1974 to 1987 and treasurer of the Jewish Agency from 1988 to 1992. [40]
Israeli Political Parties in the 17th Knesset
About 10 to 15 parties, representing dramatically diverse political views, have been elected to every Knesset (Israeli parliament). [41] Following are the political parties with seats in the 17th Knesset [42] (elected March 28, 2006):
Members of Knesset Replaced in 17th Knesset
Source: “Current Knesset Members of the Seventeenth Knesset: Replacements among Knesset Members,” The Knesset, accessed Political Parties (in alphabetical order)
Hadash
Members of Knesset: Mohammad Barakeh, Dov Khenin, Hanna Swaid [44]
Members of Knesset: Elhanan Glazer, Sara Marom-Shalev, Moshe Sharoni [46] The center-left party has been one of Israel's two dominant blocs (along with Likud) since the founding of the state in 1948. Labor leaders tend to support negotiating with Palestinians and dismantling most Israeli settlements in the West Bank in exchange for peace. The Labor platform emphasizes liberal social and economic policies and a strong defense. In 2005, Labor joined the Likud coalition to implement Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In 2006 it became Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s most important coalition partner. [50] In 2007, some Labor party members advocated direct talks with Hamas in order to negotiate a halt to the group’s rocket and mortar barrages on the southern region of Israel bordering the Gaza strip. [51] Today the party is center-left in the Israeli political spectrum. Defense Minister Ehud Barak won the party’s 2007 primaries with 51 percent of the vote. [52] Labor is the second largest party in the Knesset, with 19 of the 120 seats and is part of the current coalition government. [53] In the 17th Knesset, in 2006, Meretz-Yachad attained 5 seats. The party is currently opposed to the Olmert-led government. Recently, it aligned with the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party in votes of no confidence against the government. [58] In the coming elections, the two parties could form a left-wing coalition with Kadima, Pensioners and Labor. [59] Members of Knesset: Yossi Beilin, Ran Cohen, Zahava Gal-On, Chaim Oron, Avshalom Vilan [60][endif]--> National Democratic Party (Balad) In 2006, Balad Chairman Azmi Bishara led his party to the Knesset, winning three seats. However, in the Second Lebanon War, Bishara came under suspicion for treason and aiding Iran-backed Hezbollah. Shin Bet wiretappings suggested the Knesset member was in contact with Hezbollah agents. [63] Following the accusations and interrogations, Bishara left the country and resigned from his position in the Knesset. He is still wanted in Israel for questioning. [64] Members of Knesset: Said Naffaa, Wasil Taha, Jamal Zahalka National Union/National Religious Party (NPR) Ha'ichud Ha'leumi, which translates from Hebrew to ‘The National Union,’ is a right-wing coalition of two small, ultra-nationalist parties. In the 2006 elections, the National Union Party ran on a joint list with the National Religious Party after the Yisrael Beiteinu Party split from its previous coalition with the National Union Party in 2005 to run separately in the upcoming elections. [65] To compensate for the loss, the NPR joined the National Union on a joint ticket and acquired nine seats in 2006. [66] +Its platform emphasizes maintaining a strong Jewish national identity, extending Israeli sovereignty over disputed territories and rejecting the concept of a Palestinian state. [67] Members of Knesset: Uri Yehuda Ariel, Effie Eitam, Arieh Eldad, Benyamin Elon, Eliahu Gabbay, Zvi Hendel, Yitzhak Levy, Zevulun Orlev, Nissan Slomiansky [68] Members of Knesset: Rafi Eitan, Yakov Ben Yizri, Itshac Galentee, Izhak Ziv [76] Shas, an acronym for ‘Sephardic Guardians of the Torah,’ represents primarily ultra-Orthodox Jews who immigrated to Israel from other Middle Eastern countries and North Africa. In the 2006 elections, Shas tied with Likud for the third-highest number of seats in the Knesset, an unprecedented occurrence. Shas has a socially conservative agenda, while also supporting generous welfare payments, especially for religious seminary students. Its policy toward Palestinian Arabs has been relatively flexible. Shas often holds the balance of power among the major parliamentary blocs, enabling it to maximize its influence. [77] Chairman Eli Yishai has led the party since 1999 and served as a deputy prime minister and interior minister in the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. [78] Currently Yishai is the minister of industry, trade, and labor. [79] The party also holds another three cabinet positions. Seeking a stable Knesset majority, Prime Minister Olmert invited Shas to join the government in May 2006. Shas signed into the coalition despite its disagreement with Olmert’s border plans. [80] Members of Knesset: Chaim Amsellem, Ariel Atias, David Azoulay, Mazor Bahyna, Amnon Cohen, Yitzhak Cohen, Yakov Margi, Avraham Michaeli, Meshulam Nahari, Yitzhak Vaknin, Eliyahu Yishai, Nissim Zeev [81] United Arab List-Arab Renewal (Ra’am-Ta’al) Ra’am-Ta’al, the Hebrew acronym for ‘United Arab List- Arab Movement for Renewal,’ is the largest Arab party in the Knesset and endorses an end to what it considers the Israeli occupation of the territories. It supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The party calls for dismantling all Israeli settlements, including those in the Golan Heights and along Israel’s border with Lebanon (land it contends belongs to Lebanon). [82] The party supports the separation of religion and state, the “right of return” within Israeli borders for Palestinian refugees, and the dismantling of all nuclear weapons in the world, in particular Israel. [83] Ra’am-Ta’al calls for the recognition of Israeli Arabs as a national minority and believes that Arabs should not be recruited to serve in the Israel Defense Forces. [84] Ra'am-Ta’al believes that Israel should give Islamic religious courts greater freedom in performing judicial duties, especially among the Israeli-Arab Shi’ite communities. In addition, the movement calls for an increase in the budget for subsidizing all holy places belonging to the Muslims, Christians and Druze. [85] The party enjoys particular popularity among the Bedouin population. [86] Members of Knesset: Talab El-Sana, Ibrahim Sarsur, Ahmad Tibi, Abas Zkoor [87] United Torah Judaism (also known in Hebrew as ‘Yahadut HaTorah Hameukhedet’) is an alliance of two small, ultra-Orthodox political parties. It represents the growing ultra-Orthodox community. [88] It opposes the separation of religion and state, drafting young ultra-Orthodox men into the military and any change in the nation’s laws that prohibiting most businesses from opening on Saturdays and holidays. The party has been highly successful in securing financial aid for the ultra-Orthodox community, including government stipends for large families. [89] Lieberman was minister of strategic affairs until Yisrael Beiteinu withdrew from the coalition government in January 2008, in protest of developing peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. [92] Members of Knesset: Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Israel Hasson, Robert Ilatov, Sofa Landver, Avigdor Liberman, Alex Miller, Stas Misezhnikov, David Rotem, Yosef Shagal, Lia Shemtov, Esterina Tartman [93] TIP Press Release, July 30, 2008 Israeli Prime Minister Announces End of Premiership Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who helped orchestrate Olmert said he made the decision due to recent investigations into alleged financial wrongdoing but maintains his innocence.[2] “My privacy is not as important as the public’s well-being,” Olmert said during the surprise press conference that he held from his official Jerusalem residence. “The prime minister is not above the law, but he is in no way below it.”[3] Modeled after the British system, Olmert’s political turn of fate is not a first for Olmert’s Knesset service began in 1973 when he was elected to a seat in the eighth Knesset at 28, the youngest Knesset member at that time. He was elected as part of a faction of the Likud party and was reelected to the next six Knessets as a member of the Likud.[9] “Prime Minister Olmert loves Olmert Press Release Footnotes: [1] Ravid, Barak, “Olmert: I won’t run in Kadima primary, will quit once new leader chosen,” Haaretz, [2] Ibid. [3] Ravid, Barak, “Olmert: I'll quit once new Kadima leader chosen,” Haaretz, [4] Somfalvi, Attila, “Olmert announces will step down after Kadima primaries,” YnetNews.com, [5] Ravid, Barak, “Olmert to deliver surprise address to public at 8 p.m.,” Haaretz, [6] Basic Law: The Government (2001), Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 7, 2001, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2001/3/Basic+Law-+The+Government+-2001-.htm#16b [7] “The Eighth Knesset.” The Knesset, http://www.knesset.gov.il/review/ReviewPage3.aspx?kns=8&lng=3. Accessed [8] “The Main Events and Issues During the Eighth Knesset,” The Knesset Web site, http://www.knesset.gov.il/history/eng/eng_hist8.htm. Accessed [9] “Fact file: [10] “Prime Minister – Curriculum Vitae,” Prime Minister’s Office, http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/PM/Resume/ Accessed June 3, 2008. [11] “ [12] Hider, James, “Israel and [13] Ravid, Barak and Stern, Yoav, “Olmert vows to free Palestinian prisoners regardless of swap deals,” Haaretz, [14] Fact file: [15] Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s speech to the AIPAC Policy Conference,
Backgrounder Footnotes
[1] Ravid, Barak, “Olmert: I won’t run in Kadima primary, will quit once new leader chosen,” Haaretz, [2] “Kadima officials fear new leader won't be able to form gov't,” Haaretz, [3] Leshem, Elie, “Poll: Livni beating Mofaz in Kadima race,” The Jerusalem Post, [4] “Livni advantage narrows in [5] “Election Results of the 17th Knesset,” The Knesset, accessed [6] “Kadima officials fear new leader won't be able to form gov't,” Haaretz, [7] Macintyre, Donald, “Avi Dichter: [8] “Avi Dichter,” Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, accessed [9] Macintyre, Donald, “Avi Dichter: [10] “About the Ministry,” Israel Ministry of Public Security, accessed [11] Stoil, Rebecca Anna, “ [12] Haaretz Service and News Agencies, “Kadima officials fear new leader won’t be able to form gov’t,” Haaretz, [13] Macintyre, Donald, “Avi Dichter: [14] “Avi Dichter,” Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, accessed [15] “Avi Dichter,” Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, accessed [16] “Avi Dichter,” Britain Israel Communications & Research Centre, accessed [17] Macintyre, Donald, “Avi Dichter: [18] “Bio: Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister,” ISRIA, accessed July 31, 2008, http://www.isria.info/FILES/FREE/F_07292007_9.htm [19] Westcott, Kathryn, “Tzipi Livni: [20] “Tzipi Livni, MK Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Kadima)” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed [21] Westcott, Kathryn, “Tzipi Livni: [22] Hussein, Abdel-Rahman, “Jews and Arabs not at odds says Livni,” Daily News Egypt, [23] “Bio: Tzipi Livni, Israeli Foreign Minister,” ISRIA, accessed July 31, 2008, http://www.isria.info/FILES/FREE/F_07292007_9.htm [24] Black, Ian, “With Palestinian talks going nowhere, [25] Westcott, Kathryn, “Tzipi Livni: [26] Westcott, Kathryn, “Tzipi Livni: [27] Westcott, Kathryn, “Tzipi Livni: [28] [29] “Knesset Members: Shaul Mofaz,” The Knesset, accessed [30] “Shaul Mofaz, MK,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/2/Shaul%20Mofaz [31] [32] “Mofaz confident of victory, says he'll opt for broad coalition,” The Jerusalem Post, [33] Mualem, Mazal, “Mofaz: If elected Kadima chair, I will handle peace talks,” Haaretz, [34] “Shaul Mofaz, MK,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/2/Shaul%20Mofaz [35] “Meir Sheetrit, MK Minister of the Interior (Kadima),” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/3/Meir+Sheetrit.htm [36] “Meir Sheetrit, MK Minister of the Interior (Kadima),” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/3/Meir+Sheetrit.htm [37] “Meir Sheetrit, MK Minister of the Interior (Kadima),” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/3/Meir+Sheetrit.htm [38] Wheeler, Carolynne, “Who will become Israeli’s next prime minister?” The Telegraph, [39] “Mofaz confident of victory, says he'll opt for broad coalition,” The Jerusalem Post, [40] “Meir Sheetrit, MK Minister of the Interior (Kadima),” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed July 31, 2008, http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/3/Meir+Sheetrit.htm [41] “The State: Elections,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oct. 1, 2006, http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts%20About%20Israel/State/THE%20STATE-%20Elections [42] “Parliamentary Groups,” The Knesset, accessed [43] “Hadash,” Ynet, accessed [44] “Hadash,” The Knesset, accessed [45] Maranda, Amnon and Shomplbi Atila, Farce of the Pensioners: From three dissidents come one,” Ynet, [46] “Justice for the Elderly,” The Knesset, accessed [47] “ [48] Wilson, Scott, “Israeli Premier Quits Party and Forms His Own,” The Washington Post, [49] Shahar, Eliel and Eel, Nadav, “The Platform of Kadima: distribution of the [50] “Israeli Political Parties,” [51] “ [52] “Labor,” YnetNews, [53] “ [54] “Likud- Platform,” The Knesset, accessed [55] “Current Members of the 17th Knesset: Knesset members by parliamentary group,” The Knesset, accessed [56] “Meretz-Yachad,” Meretz-Yachad Web site, accessed [57] “Israeli Organizations,” Meretz [58] Meranda, Amnon, “Government defeated in 3 no confidence votes,” YnetNews, [59] Ilan, Shahar, “Kadima primaries/ say good-bye to the coalition,” Haaretz, [60] “Meretz-Yahad,” The Knesset, accessed [61] “National Democratic Assembly-NDA,” BALAD Party Web site, accessed [62] “Balad,” Ynet, accessed [63] Yishai, Ron Ben, “Bishara recommended that Hizbullah attack south of [64] “National Democratic Assembley,” The Knesset, accessed [65] “Naional Union-National Religious Party,” YnetNews, [66] “Ichud Leumi-Mafdal,” The Knesset, accessed [67] “Whatever happened to the ‘Israeli Right’??” HaIchud Haleumi, accessed [68] “Ichud Leumi-Mafdal,” The Knesset, accessed [69] Dionne Eli, Jr., “ [70] Golan, Avirama, “The Pensioners Party / Compassion Inc,” Haaretz, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=700352&contrassID=2 [71] Fogel, Avi, “The Big Surprise: The Pensioners Party,” Maariv, March 29, 2006, http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/066/591.html [72] Frenkel, Sheera Claire, “Pensioners a big hit in Tel Aviv,” The Jerusalem Post, [73] “Israeli Political Parties,” [74] Ibid [75] Miri, Chason, “Pensioners party: We will win four mandates,” [76] “Gil Pensioners Party.” The Knesset, accessed [77] “About the Elections in [78] “Eli Yishai, Shas,” YnetNews, [79] “Eliyahu Yishai,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 4, 2006, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Personalities/From+A-Z/Eliyahu+Yishai.htm [80] Adler, Katya, “Analysis: [81] “Shas,” The Knesset, accessed [82] “Ra’am,” Ynet, accessed [83] “Elections 2006: United Arab List – Ta’al,” Ynet, [84] Ibid. [85] “Parliamentary Groups – Ra’am-Ta’al,” The Knesset, accessed [86] Ibid. [87] “Ra’am-Tal,” The Knesset, accessed [88] Wagner, Matthew, “Meeting paves way to Haredi unity,” The Jerusalem Post, [89] “Miflaga,” Ynet, accessed [90] “Elections 2006: [91] “Elections 2006: [92] Mualem, Mazal, “Lieberman blasts Arab MKs, pulls party out of government,” Haaretz, [93] “Yisrael Beyteinu,” The Knesset, accessed |
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