Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz held an activists’ meeting at his home in Kochav Yair, near the central city of Kfar Saba. The weekend meeting was attended by former military officials and businessmen who may support his candidacy in the Kadima party primaries in September. “Those voting for the head of the movement (Kadima) are essentially voting for the next prime minister,” Mofaz warned.

In spite of jockeying against favored Kadima leadership candidate, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the former Defense Minister and I.D.F. Chief of Staff stressed that “it is highly important to maintain governmental stability at this time” and that now is not the right time to hold general elections.