Kadima party leaders continued to criticize Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the various media outlets on Wednesday over the speech he gave to the U.S. Congress.
Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz, a former Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense who seeks to run for the position of Prime Minister, stated that Netanyahu’s speech did not promote the political processes and failed to introduce a real political plan. MK Dalia Itzik, who chairs the Kadima faction, made similar remarks and said that while she welcomed the great honor given to Netanyahu by the Americans, she could not find anything more in his speech.
Kadima head and opposition leader, MK Tzipi Livni, had previously criticized the Prime MInister for not accepting the contents of President Barack Obama's speech in which he said that '67 lines should be the basis of negotiations. She was roundly criticized by some members of her own party for what was termed politically motivated automatic disagreement with the Prime Minister.
MK Yohanan Plesner, also from Kadima, responded to the speech as well, saying that “Netanyahu is not in a debating competition and the political tsunami will not be stopped by him running from speech to speech. His test will be through action and taking initiative.”
The MKs’ remarks are in line with a statement published by Kadima’s spokesman immediately after Netanyahu’s speech.
“After a hard week which culminated in an unnecessary conflict with the U.S. which sharpened the murky relationship Netanyahu has created between the two countries in the past two years – it’s time to start acting,” read the statement.
“History is created through actions and not through speeches,” the statement continued, “and this will be Netanyahu’s test as prime minister of Israel. After two years of stagnation, Israel has sunk to one of the lowest points in its history, its fundamental problems have been exposed and it is undergoing a troublesome procedure of diplomatic isolation.
“Netanyahu must immediately implement his commitment to the public by taking actions that will change this global trend and will mobilize the international community and the United States to Israel’s important interests rather than increasing its alienation. This is Netanyahu’s true test by which he will be judged.”
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s spokesman Gidi Schmerling called on Kadima on Wednesday morning to join Netanyahu’s coalition.
During an interview with Army Radio, Schmerling said that the gaps between Kadima and Netanyahu’s Likud party are not so great now and the two would be able to cooperate in a coalition.