Ophir Akunis, who heads the Likud party's media responses team, accused Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima) Wednesday of having a hidden agenda as regards the fate of the Golan Heights, after Livni voted against a bill submitted by MK Eli Aflalo (Kadima).

The bill, which the Knesset approved in a preliminary reading, would grant tax benefits to residents of the Golan Heights. The bill was supported by Knesset members from the coalition and also by several Kadima members, despite Livni's opinion against it.

Sources in Kadima criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak for refusing to accept Kadima's suggestion to postpone the vote on Golan instead of bringing it up today, when there is still some tension with Syria over recent statements by Israeli and Syrian leaders.

Likud Whip Ze'ev Elkin saw meaning in the splitting of the Kadima vote: “Time and again, Kadima proves that it has no clear and coherent stand on any question or subject – not about the Golan, nor about other subjects. Even if formally, Kadima has not yet split, de facto it is behaving like two factions, with two heads and two ideologies,” Elkin said.