Cablegate: "Kadima" Attracting Cross-Section of Political
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006673
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV IS ELECTIONS GOI INTERNAL
SUBJECT: "KADIMA" ATTRACTING CROSS-SECTION OF POLITICAL
SPECTRUM
REF: TEL AVIV 6624
1. Summary: Prime Minister Sharon continues to court
national and local politicians from across the political
spectrum to join his new party, "Kadima." Former Labor Party
Leader Shimon Peres is considering whether to join Sharon and
is to announce his decision on November 30. Sharon currently
heads a Cabinet shrunk to 12 members, divided evenly between
Likud and Kadima ministers. He is waiting until the official
December 8 publication of the presidential decree to dissolve
the Knesset, at which time he will be permitted to appoint
new ministers without Knesset approval. End Summary.
2. Kadima Attractions
-- In the end, Prime Minister Sharon reverted to the name
"Kadima" ("forward"), for his new centrist party, and
officially registered it as such on November 24.
-- Sharon held his first meeting of the Kadima faction
November 28 in the Knesset.
-- Sharon currently has 16 MKs in his party: himself, 13
other Likud MKs (see reftel), former Am Ehad MK David Tal,
and former National Union MK Michael Nudelman. Pursuant to
Israeli law, MK Chaim Ramon, who announced that he is leaving
the Labor Party to join Kadima, can join Kadima only after
the elections.
-- Former Labor Party leader Shimon Peres is considering
whether to leave the Labor Party and join Kadima. Sharon
reportedly is offering Peres a ministerial position to
address the peace process in some capacity. A close
associate of Peres told Israel Radio November 28 that Peres
is likely to join Kadima and will announce his decision
November 30.
-- Sharon met with Uriel Reichman, a founder of the Shinui
Party and head of the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center,
about joining Kadima. A move by Reichman would be a serious
blow to Shinui leader Tommy Lapid whose 14-MK faction stands
to be reduced in the coming election.
-- Israeli Arab Mayor of Kfar Qassem Sami Issa confirmed to
the media that Sharon's associates are holding talks with
political figures in the Arab sector to persuade them to join
Kadima. Issa has not announced whether he will join Kadima.
-- Sharon invited some 70 Likud mayors and a number of Labor
Party and independent mayors to his residence on November 29
as part of his campaign to recruit new members for his party.
3. Transition Government
-- The December 8 official publication of the presidential
decree to dissolve the Knesset starts a 21-day clock during
which an absolute majority of MKs (61) can request that the
President charge one MK with the task of forming a new
government. In the unlikely event that a single MK could
garner sufficient support to forward such a request, the MK
so charged has 28 days to form a new government. If no such
candidate emerges, the Knesset dissolves at the end of the
21-day period.
-- According to the November 23 agreement between President
Katsav and Knesset members (reftel), as of December 8, Sharon
can appoint from among Knesset members ministers to fill the
eight slots vacated by the Labor Party. Sharon may choose
not to fill two of the Labor slots, that of
minister-without-portfolio, which has been held by Chaim
Ramon, and that of vice premier, which had been created
especially for Peres. Any new appointments require only
Cabinet approval. The Cabinet now consists of six Likud
ministers and six Kadima ministers.
-- Sharon granted himself additional ministerial portfolios
for the next two weeks, until he appoints new ministers from
his Kadima party. Sharon serves as minister for National
Infrastructure, Communications, Interior, Housing and
Construction, Environment, Science and Technology, and Social
Welfare.
4. Pre-Election Political Dynamics
-- The National Union and National Religious Party are
discussing the possibility of a merger, with negotiations to
begin this week. The National Union currently has six
Knesset seats and the NRP has four.
-- The chairman of the left-wing Meretz-Yahad Party, Yossi
Beilin, announced at his party's convention November 27 that
Meretz would consider joining a coalition with Sharon if
Sharon forms the next government.
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