Surprising no one, the Kadima Knesset faction has rejected the offer by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to join his national unity government.
The vote on the issue at the party's weekly faction meeting was reported to be unanimous, though earlier reports said it was supported by a majority, implying that there had been some dissent.
MKs such as Ronit Tirosh and Otniel Schneller had earlier strongly backed Kadima’s entry into the government. Schneller is even quoted in Monday’s edition of Yediot Acharonot as saying, “If Livni says no to Netanyahu, it won’t only be myself who will leave Kadima, and not only a few others; there could be a group of something like ten MKs who will leave.”
Most Kadima speakers called Netanyahu’s offer to Kadima – two or three Cabinet ministerial positions without-portfolio, and no changes in the coalition guidelines –“insulting” and a “mockery.”
MK Sha’ul Mofaz, considered the #2 man in Kadima after party leader Tzipi Livni, said that Netanyahu’s offer is “arrogant and not genuine.” Mofaz added, “As I told Livni a few days ago, arrogance is not a substitute for leadership.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu responded with disappointment. His office issued a response stating, "The Prime Minister was sorry to hear of the refusal by Kadima, headed by Livni, to respond positively to his offer to broaden the national unity government. In light of the importance of the hour and the challenges that face the State of Israel, the Prime Minister hoped for a different position."
Kadima Splitting?
Though Kadima faces the dangers of a split-off by several of its members, Mofaz hopes to meet this challenge by demanding – and winning – party primaries and taking over the reins of leadership from Livni. In a meeting with Livni last week in light of reports that several MKs would jump to the Likud, Mofaz told her of his demand for party primaries. She did not turn him down, saying only, “Not at the present time.”