The Knesset passed the "Mofaz bill" into law on Monday afternoon, by a margin of 60-43. The law allows seven Knesset Members to leave a party and form another faction instead. No immediate changes in the coalition or opposition parties are expected, but the vote places the future of Kadima in jeopardy.
The bill was known by the name of Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz, the most hawkish member of the party founded by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. MK Mofaz, whose return to the Likud party is badly wanted by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, objected to the law and voted against it. He may opt for running against Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni instead of bolting the party.
However, the possibility of Mofaz and six other Kadima MKs leaving the party is an effective deterrent against the party moving further to the left on policies, particularly regarding the Palestinian Authority and the Golan Heights.
The previous law determined that a minimum of one-third of a party's MKs is needed to form another party during the same Knesset.
Passage of the Mofaz Law also strengthened Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose coalition suffered a setback last month when it discovered it did not have a majority to pass the bill that would authorize the sale of part of Israel's land. The coalition gained the majority it needed to pass the land reform act after a compromise by Labor party chairman Ehud Barak defused its immediate impact.