The Kadima party, headed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, is opening a branch in Moscow while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will place his Yadina Russia party's first foreign office in Israel. Kadima is hoping to attract Russian voters who are eligible to cast ballots in Russian elections and who generally vote for Putin's party.
Several party leaders fear the mutual opening of branches will create a poor image for Kadima because of its forming a relationship with a Russian party that is considered by many to be totalitarian, according to the Hebrew daily Haaretz. The recent hostilities between Georgia and Russia have made Russia appear to be returning to old Soviet Union policies of using military power to expand influence. Russia has recently also threatened it will attack Poland.
Kadima official Nada Chozoy flew to Russia last week to finalize the opening up of the offices, the newspaper said.
Likud and other parties have offices in other countries, but none of them have opened branches in Russia.