At a conference in Ashkelon headed by MK Avi Dichter, Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz said that he did not see the current government taking steps that would lead to change, and that the government's policies would hurt Israel's relations with the U.S.

"We have freezes and then permits to build, over and over. It's like an unwanted game of ping pong that will lead us into a confrontation with our great friend, the United States. This policy will end when Kadima leads the country."

Speaking at the conference, Dichter described Israel's problems with the Hamas government of Gaza, and emphasized that Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority also needed to confront the Islamic leadership.