A poll conducted for Haaretz and Channel Ten shows Kadima led by Ehud Olmert receiving 40 Knesset seats in the March 28th election. Another poll carried out by Mina Tzemach's Dachaf Institute for Yediot Acharonot shows that Kadima would receive 39 seats. The latter survey indicates that if Kadima is led by Shimon Peres, the party would receive 42 Knesset mandates, and 36 if led by Justice Minister Tzippy Livny.
Many analysts and observers do not accept these results as conclusive, however. Nearly half the readers' comments on the Ynet report either express disbelief in the findings, or say the poll was conducted too early. Many called the report an outright lie, while others echoed one who said, "The public has not yet absorbed the news [of Sharon's illness]."
Maariv's political commentator and Kol Chai Radio show host Menachem Rahat told Arutz-7 today, "I don't believe in political polls in general, because they are accurate only for that minute; things change very quickly, as we saw this week... But even if I did believe in polls, the ones publicized today are particularly not trustworthy, because the public is still in shock. As long as Sharon is still in the public consciousness, support for his party is still high. But I believe that Kadima will soon begin losing support each week, and if it receives 20 seats on Election Day, that will be a lot."
In light of the apparent disappearance of their leader from the political scene, Kadima MKs are attempting to maintain unity in the ranks. Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit, who called yesterday morning for the party to convene within two days and choose a leader, retracted his remarks shortly afterwards. He said today, "We must all agree to place Ehud Olmert at the head of the party. I believe he can lead us to victory in the elections."
Even MK Chaim Ramon, who arrived in Kadima from the Labor Party, said today that Olmert was his choice for party leader. "I believe that Olmert can lead Kadima to the highest amount of Knesset mandates," Ramon said. He had originally said that Peres should be Israel's Acting Premier in place of Sharon.
In an attempt to shore up the party ranks, Olmert scheduled a meeting with Peres today - which was abruptly canceled when Sharon was taken to the operating room shortly before noon. Labor leaders, for their part, are trying to entice Peres, their former leader, to return to Labor.
Olmert talked with National Religious Party leader Zevulun Orlev last night. Orlev promised that his party would act as a "responsible opposition" and would not attack the government in the coming days. National Union party leaders have also taken this approach - although they are planning a strong public struggle against the government's plans to evacuate Jews from the Mitzpeh Shalhevet neighborhood in Hevron.
In the Likud, Binyamin Netanyahu has set the tone of "now is not the time to deal in politics." He even asked all the party's Knesset candidates to call off the political events they had scheduled for the next few days. The Likud ministers had been set to resign from the government this coming Sunday, but postponed implementing this decision when Sharon underwent his emergency operation.
Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) agreed that political activity should be "suspended for a day or two, until the situation clears up." He predicted that some Kadima members would seek to return to the Likud: "It can't be ignored that Kadima is a one-man party, and it's clear that in light of Sharon's situation, if he is unable to return, some of the people who arrived in Kadima from various places will want to return from whence they came."
Many analysts and observers do not accept these results as conclusive, however. Nearly half the readers' comments on the Ynet report either express disbelief in the findings, or say the poll was conducted too early. Many called the report an outright lie, while others echoed one who said, "The public has not yet absorbed the news [of Sharon's illness]."
Maariv's political commentator and Kol Chai Radio show host Menachem Rahat told Arutz-7 today, "I don't believe in political polls in general, because they are accurate only for that minute; things change very quickly, as we saw this week... But even if I did believe in polls, the ones publicized today are particularly not trustworthy, because the public is still in shock. As long as Sharon is still in the public consciousness, support for his party is still high. But I believe that Kadima will soon begin losing support each week, and if it receives 20 seats on Election Day, that will be a lot."
In light of the apparent disappearance of their leader from the political scene, Kadima MKs are attempting to maintain unity in the ranks. Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit, who called yesterday morning for the party to convene within two days and choose a leader, retracted his remarks shortly afterwards. He said today, "We must all agree to place Ehud Olmert at the head of the party. I believe he can lead us to victory in the elections."
Even MK Chaim Ramon, who arrived in Kadima from the Labor Party, said today that Olmert was his choice for party leader. "I believe that Olmert can lead Kadima to the highest amount of Knesset mandates," Ramon said. He had originally said that Peres should be Israel's Acting Premier in place of Sharon.
In an attempt to shore up the party ranks, Olmert scheduled a meeting with Peres today - which was abruptly canceled when Sharon was taken to the operating room shortly before noon. Labor leaders, for their part, are trying to entice Peres, their former leader, to return to Labor.
Olmert talked with National Religious Party leader Zevulun Orlev last night. Orlev promised that his party would act as a "responsible opposition" and would not attack the government in the coming days. National Union party leaders have also taken this approach - although they are planning a strong public struggle against the government's plans to evacuate Jews from the Mitzpeh Shalhevet neighborhood in Hevron.
In the Likud, Binyamin Netanyahu has set the tone of "now is not the time to deal in politics." He even asked all the party's Knesset candidates to call off the political events they had scheduled for the next few days. The Likud ministers had been set to resign from the government this coming Sunday, but postponed implementing this decision when Sharon underwent his emergency operation.
Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) agreed that political activity should be "suspended for a day or two, until the situation clears up." He predicted that some Kadima members would seek to return to the Likud: "It can't be ignored that Kadima is a one-man party, and it's clear that in light of Sharon's situation, if he is unable to return, some of the people who arrived in Kadima from various places will want to return from whence they came."