A group of parents who lost their children in the Second Lebanon War is planning to kick off a campaign against Kadima in the near future, David Einhorn revealed Thursday. Einhorn, who lost his son Yonatan in the war, said Israel is “at the moment of truth” and must not elect Kadima a second time.
The parents' message will be “that this party, as long as it has the same leadership as it did during the Second Lebanon War, cannot — must not — be a part of the next government, and all the more so must not be allowed to lead the next government,” Einhorn explained.
Einhorn was not discouraged by recent polls showing Kadima as the second most powerful party, with an expected 28 seats to Likud's 33. Just a few days ago polls showed Kadima and Likud tied with 29 seats each, he pointed out. Kadima will continue to drop in the polls, while Likud will rise, he predicted.
"It could be that some still think [Foreign Minister] Tzipi Livni is some sort of savior for the Kadima party, but as time passes, they'll see that it's the same Kadima,” he said. Part of the parents' task will be showing the public that Livni does not represent change, he said. Livni sat in the government during the war, he said, and those senior members of Kadima she hopes to form a cabinet with were a factor in Kadima's failures. None have taken responsibility for their mistakes, he said.
Livni told then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to step down when the Winograd commission said he was responsible for wartime failures, Einhorn said, but then failed to follow through and remained in Olmert's government. Livni “knows how to talk, and knows how to make promises—but when it comes time for deeds, she's not able to put her words into action,” he said.
The parents are now planning their campaign, he said. They agreed to work together out of concern, he said, adding that “a state like ours” must not elect Kadima. “We can fall once — even that is dangerous — but if we fall a second time, we might not be able to rise again,” he warned.
The parents do not have the funding to buy air time on major media outlets, he admitted, but are determined to do whatever necessary to get their message to the public. Anyone who believes, as the parents do, that Kadima must not gain power a second time is welcome to join the campaign, he said. The group is not afraid of the difficulties it will face or the price it might pay, he added. “We already paid the ultimate price — our children.”