Election News

The latest regarding Israel's 2006 elections:

03/29/2006 | Kadima a Weakened Winner

With nearly all of the votes tallied, the final results, Kadima is victorious but with fewer Knesset seats than any poll predicted. Yisrael Beitenu (12 seats) and the Gil Pensioners Party (7 seats) are the surprise big winners of the election. Labor won 20 seats and Likud only 11 mandates as a result of being decimated from defections as a result of Kadima's creation and voter distrust.

Following are the final results of the Israeli election:

Kadima - 28 Knesset Seats
Labor - 20
Yisrael Beitenu - 12
Likud - 11
Shas - 13
Gil (Pensioners) - 7
National Union-NRP - 9
Torah & Shabbat Judaism (UTJ) - 6
Meretz-Yachad - 4
Balad - 3
United Arab List - 4
Hadash - 3

Now the hard part begins...forming a stable ruling coalition.

03/28/2006 | Polling Stations Open; 5M Can Vote

Election day in Israel has arrived. 8,280 polling stations have opened and more than 5 million Israelis are eligible to vote in elections.

Polls will remain open until 10pm in Israel and only at that time will exit poll data be released by Israeli news agencies.

03/26/2006 | Lieberman's Plan Illegal

According to many legal scholars from both sides of the political spectrum who were quoted in an article in the Jerusalem Post, the 'land swap' plan of Avigdor Lieberman is illegal. Other legal authorities have stated that the plan has not been sufficiently clarified to make a sound legal judgement.

The crux of the argument is based on the legality of stripping citizenship from Israeli citizens, something that would need to happen if this plan came to fruition.

Even right-wing attorney Yossi Fuchs, of the Legal Forum for the State of Israel and a member of the Likud central committee, who supports reducing the number of Arab citizens, said that taking away a person's citizenship runs counter to Israeli and international law.

"The state can decide that the Triangle area, populated mostly by Israeli Arabs, is no longer part of Israel. But it cannot revoke the citizenship of the people living there," he said. "The people [Israeli Arab citizens] who remain there will still be Israeli citizens."


Attorney Hadas Tagari, who formerly worked for the Association for Civil Rights in Israel argued that it was so difficult to revoke a person's citizenship that the High Court of Justice has upheld the citizenship rights of Yigal Amir, who assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, even though he committed a crime against the state.

Lieberman has spoken of international support for the idea. As evidence of such acceptance, he and supporters in his campaign point to the fact that former secretary of state Henry Kissinger has spoken approvingly about a similar idea.

While Kissinger has not mentioned Lieberman by name, in a February opinion piece for the Washington Post, Kissinger wrote, "The most logical outcome would be to trade Israeli settlement blocs around Jerusalem - a demand President Bush has all but endorsed - for some equivalent territories in present-day Israel with significant Arab populations. The rejection of such an approach, or alternative available concepts, which would contribute greatly to stability and to demographic balance, reflects a determination to keep incendiary issues permanently open."

Lieberman's plan calls for Israel to retain heavily populated Jewish blocs in the the West Bank in exchange for giving the Palestinian Authority high density Israeli Arab ones within sovereign Israel, such as the Galilee "Triangle" and its Wadi Ara valley, which includes cities like Umm el-Fahm, Taiba and Baka al-Gharbiyeh.

Israeli Arabs who continue living in those areas would become Palestinian citizens, said Many. They would keep their homes and their jobs, he added.

"We are not talking about population transfer," he said. But those who wanted to retain their Israeli citizenship would have to move within Israel's borders and sign a pledge of allegiance to a Zionist state, Many said.

03/23/2006 | Olmert Limits Entrance to Coalition

According to an article in today's Jerusalem Post, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert severely curtailed his chances of forming a new coalition on Wednesday, when he told Channel 10 that parties would have to accept his West Bank convergence plan to be included in a Kadima-led coalition.

The plan, which he revealed in an interview two weeks ago, calls for removing isolated West Bank settlements and converging them into settlement blocs.

"Whoever is not ready to be a part of our convergence plan, of our new diplomatic agenda, cannot be part of the coalition," Olmert said. "There will be no rebels. I will not permit a coalition system with rebels that ruin it from the inside."

The only parties which would agree to adopt Olmert's plan are Labor, Meretz and the Arab parties. Other prospective coalition partners, like Israel Beiteinu, Shas and United Torah Judaism, would have a tough time accepting such a condition.

Following the interview, Likud MK Gideon Sa'ar, who heads the party's public relations team, called upon the three parties not to join an Olmert-led government.

"It is forbidden to allow these parties to take votes from the Right and create a left-wing government," Sa'ar said.

Israel Beiteinu head Avigdor Lieberman dismissed
Olmert's remarks, calling them the kind of statements that one made prior to the elections.
Afterward, he said, Olmert would be more amenable to negotiations when faced with the reality of forming a coalition.

"Speak to him five days after the elections and there will be a different tune in the Kadima office," Lieberman told Channel 10.

Lieberman has said repeatedly that he was not ruling out any Zionist parties when it came to coalition partners. "We are open to negotiations with anyone who sees us as a coalition partner," he said.

Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post that he believed that following such negotiations, Kadima was likely to accept his plan which calls for territorial and population exchange between Israel and the Palestinian Authority under the auspices of an international agreement.

"If there will be serious negotiations, I think they can adopt my plan. In any case, you know, no one can take 70 seats without allies," he said.

"I am not sure that their plan is the right plan,"
Lieberman said. "If I will be part of the next
coalition I would also want to discuss our plan; I
think our plan is better than Kadima's plan. I cannot understand what could be achieved from Kadima's plan."

Lieberman said that his ideal government would be the one that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon formed when he first entered office in 2003. "I was a part of it and Ehud Olmert and Benny Elon. This principle of the Sharon government of 2003 can be a very good solution," said Lieberman.

NU-NRP leader Benny Elon told The Jerusalem Post he could not support Olmert's plan. But he warned that both Shas and Israel Beiteinu would agree to it at the end of the day, if voters failed to support a right- wing bloc.

If such a right-wing bloc could be formed, he said, he believed that Israel Beiteinu and Shas would be a part of it. Otherwise, he said, they will make a deal with Kadima.

Shas chairman Eli Yishai said his party prefers no
additional disengagements. He added that Olmert's
declarations are characteristic of the campaign
season, but Shas is waiting to see what the people
want as reflected in the election results. After the election, Shas will decide what to do.

Yishai has previously said that Shas supports
territorial compromise within the framework of a peace agreement with the Palestinians and called belief in Greater Israel anachronistic.

United Torah Judaism spokesman Menahem Geshayed said that every decision is made by the party's Council of Torah Sages. "Whatever they tell us to do, we will do," he said.

03/23/2006 | Kadima: J'lem Capital for future State

According to the Jerusalem Post and other news sources, a significant number of Arab neighborhoods on the
periphery of Jerusalem will eventually serve as the capital of the Palestinian state. The announcment was made by Othniel Schneller, a religious dove who is on Kadima's Knesset list.

His remarks were the most far-ranging on the future of Jerusalem to date by a Kadima candidate.

The Jerusalem-born Schneller, 54, who lives in a West Bank settlement and served two decades ago as
secretary-general of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, told an audience at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies that while Israel would maintain full sovereignty over "historical" Jerusalem, which he defined as all the Jewish neighborhoods and the Old City, many of the outlying Arab neighborhoods would be ceded to the Palestinians and serve as the capital of their future
state.

"Some of the neighborhoods of Jerusalem... are not
part of historical Jerusalem, and therefore we make a clear and sharp distinction between them," Schneller said in presenting Kadima's platform on the future of Jerusalem.

"Those neighborhoods which are not part of historical Jerusalem, which in the future will serve as the Palestinian capital, will not be part of the capital of Israel."

He stressed Wednesday that a Kadima government, even as it redrew Jerusalem's borders, would work to strengthen the Israeli public's ever-decreasing connection to "historic" Jerusalem.

In contrast to Schneller, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) blasted any division of the capital as an impediment to real peace.

"The division of Jerusalem will eternalize the conflict and not solve it," he said. MK Gilad Erdan, who heads Likud's response team, said
that Schneller's statements took Kadima another step toward the extreme left. He said that according to the Jerusalem Law, conceding land in Jerusalem requires a special majority of 80 MKs and would never pass.

Likud MK Uzi Landau said that Schneller's statements were intended to lead the way for Olmert to reveal his intentions to give up the Temple Mount and the Old City to Hamas. He said that Olmert's shortsightedness would threaten the security of Jerusalem residents and leave them unprotected from terror attacks.

A Kadima spokesman said he doubted that Schneller said such things.

03/22/2006 | Kadima Loses Post Jericho Bounce

After an initial surge in the polls following last week's raid of the Jericho prison, Kadima dropped to mandates in the latest polls.

According to the poll, Kadima fell from 36-37 to 34-35 seats. Labor rose two seats, from 18-19 to 20-21, while Likud fell from 15 mandates to just 14.

Polls also showed the the centrist, Tafnit party led by former IDF deputy chief of Staff Uzi Dayan may be on the verge of crossing the electoral threshold of 2%.

03/20/2006 | Olmert: Stop Dealing w/ Portfolios

According the Jerusalem Post and other sources Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has asked potential Kadima ministers stop dealing with the issue of potential portfolios prior to the election.

If he wins the race, Olmert is expected to have a difficult time assigning portfolios because there are at least 16 Kadima officials who expect to be ministers. Of these 16 ten are currently as ministers.

"I didn't promise anyone anything," Olmert said, according to one of the candidates. "We need to treat the election with respect and that means focusing solely on winning."

03/19/2006 | Kadima: We Want 61 Seats

In an attempt to bolster their support in the face of predicted record low turnouts, Kadima is calling on Israelis to vote on March 28 to meet the party's goal of gaining 61 seats in the next Knesset (61 seats would give Kadima the simple majority the party needs to govern without depending on a coalition), according the a report by YNet.

"Forty mandates are not enough. We must do whatever it takes to increase the party's majority," Kadima's number two Shimon Peres declared at a big elections rally the party held in the town of Nes Tziona Saturday.

03/16/2006 | Election Booths Open Worldwide

Elections for the 17th Knesset officially began for diplomatic,military and Jewish communal emmisaries stationed abroad. The voting officially commenced with the opening of the voting booth in Canberra, Australia opened.

In Israel there is no 'absentee voting'. Israeli citizens, with the exception of diplomats, government employees and soldiers posted abroad, can only vote if present in Israel on the day of the elections.

There are approximately 4,000 government employees and emissaries of Jewish organizations who are eligible to vote in the 92 official Israeli voting stations worldwide.

The Foreign Ministry will open a situation room within the next day to handle the elections. "During the course of the day we will follow the scope of the voters who arrive to vote, and we will receive continuous updates in order to keep track of the voters," Army Radio quoted the Foreign Ministry's supervisor of elections outside of Israel, Dani Gadot, as saying.

03/13/2006 | Green Leaf to Negotiate with Hamas

Shlomi Sendak, number two on the Green Leaf party's Knesset list has pledged to negotiate with Hamas if elected.

"I think we should negotiate with no preconditions," Sendak told The Jerusalem Post Sunday. "I would talk [with Hamas] immediately, tomorrow morning," and added, "speaking with Hamas does not mean I would agree with Hamas."

For the first time, some polls have shown that the Green Leaf Party may pass the threshold and receive three seats in the next Knesset. The ultra-liberal party, whose platform includes the legalization of gambling and prostitution along with marijuana, has run on the ballot for two past national elections.

Party leader Boaz Wachtal took a more conservative approach to negotiations with Hamas. "We can have a dialog with them [Hamas] to influence their positions," said Wachtal. "If we want to enter negotiations on a final status, we would have preconditions."

Parties across the political spectrum have refused to negotiate with Hamas unless the organization renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and promises to adhere to past agreements with Israel made by the PA.

03/09/2006 | Olmert: 'Final Borders by 2010'

According to the Jeruslame Post, Acting Prime Minister and Kadima Head Ehud Olmert Israel's permanent borders will be set within the next four years, a period during which construction will also begin in the controversial E1 section between Ma'aleh Adumim and Jerusalem.

Olmert said he intended within the next four years to "get to Israel's permanent borders, whereby we will completely separate from the majority of the Palestinian population and preserve a large and stable Jewish majority in Israel." This was the first time that Olmert has put a time frame on what he has said in the past was Israel's most pressing issue: determining its final borders.

During the interview, which will appear in its entirety in Friday's Post, Olmert refused to get drawn into a detailed discussion of where he envisioned the borders would run, saying only that his broad guidelines included Gush Etzion, the "Jerusalem envelope," Ma'aleh Adumim, the "Ariel region" and the "Jordan River as a security border."

He pointedly did not sign off on remarks made Saturday night by Avi Dichter, No. 5 on Kadima's list, that the settlement blocs that Israel would retain also included the Jordan Valley, Ofra-Beit El, Karnei Shomron-Kedumim, and Kiryat Arba-Hebron.

Olmert made clear that Dichter's remarks should not be seen on par with the broad guidelines that he himself set. "Dichter is perhaps a candidate to be in the next government, depending on how things develop, but he is not poised to be prime minister," Olmert said.

Olmert's pledge to build E1 within the next four years came six months after he became the first senior Israeli official to publicly confirm that Israel had frozen the controversial building plans in the wake of American pressure.

03/08/2006 | Election Ads Hit the Airwaves

Tuesday night launched the beginning of the next stage of this year's election campaign as the parties launched their campaign advertisements on tv and radio.

Each party is allocated a certain number of advertising minutes based on the number of seats it held in the previous Knesset. The introduction of the ads is a much anticipated night among Israeli tv watchers.

Analysts reserved particular praise for the bold ads of Meretz, NU-NRP and Yisrael Beitenu for the creativity and 'shock value'.

03/08/2006 | Abbas 'Endorses' Olmert

In an article appearing in an Italian paper, PA President Mahmuod Abbas 'endorsed' Acting Prime Minister and Kadima head Ehud Olmert in the upcoming elections.

Abbas, was quoted as saying: "We'll respect the will of the Israeli people" and then added, "I hope Olmert wins."

"I know him well. I believe that with him we could work in a productive way," said Abbas.

The Likud and other parties on the right immediately took the opportunity to attack Olmert for being a 'leftist' while Olmert and Kadima officials attempted to downplay Abbas' words even admitting that Abbas' commendts could hurt Olmert's campaign.

03/05/2006 | More Withdrawals Under Olmert

According to Avi Dichter, number five on the Kadima list, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has developed a plan to withdraw from further settlements in Judea and Samaria. The plan drew the ire of opponents of further withdrawals.

"Who is the Palestinian fool who will sit in negotiations and will have to pay so that we evacuate territory, when he knows if he simply waits, Israel will evacuate the territory," said Uzi Landau, a prominent member of the right-wing Likud party.

Mr. Dichter, was quoted on Israeli radio and in Yediot Aharonot.

The newspaper reported that at least 17 settlements would be evacuated in the first stage of a withdrawal. Israel has about 120 settlements in the West Bank.

Mr. Dichter has criticized the way that Israel handled the Gaza pullout, saying the withdrawal of Israeli troops, in addition to the Jewish settlers, has allowed Palestinians to continue to carry out rocket attacks.

He said that in future withdrawals, the Israeli security forces would remain in position to combat Palestinian militants.

"It will be a civilian disengagement only. It will not be a military disengagement," said Mr. Dichter, who stepped down as the head of Shin Bet last year, shortly before the Gaza withdrawal. If Kadima wins the election, Mr. Dichter is considered a strong candidate for a senior security post.

03/01/2006 | Likud Passes Internal Reform

In a move that is being seen as a significant victory forLikud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu, the Likud central committee voted Wednesday to open the voting for the Likud Knesset list to the full party membership (which is approximately 130,000). Currently the party's Knesset list is chosen by a vote in the party's 3,000 member 'central committee'.

Netanyahu hailed the move as a move toward a more democratic and inclusive Likud party and one which will allow the party to grow and attract a larger base of support.

Currently the Labor party has open primaries for all party members and the Kadima party is chosen internally by a select group including the party leader.

02/26/2006 | New Polls, Kadima Down One Seat

With election day one month away, the latest polls show Kadima projected to win 39 mandates, Labor 19, Likud 16, Shas 11, NRP-NU 10, Arab Parties 8-9, Yisrael Beiteinu 8 UTJ 6 and Meretz 5.

Kadima's numbers have slipped a bit in recent weeks, but neither Labor nor Likud has been able to pick-up these seats. However, the NRP-NU and Yisrael Beiteinu both seem to be the beneficiaries of additional seats.

If poll projections hold, Shinui, which had 15 seats in the last Knesset, will fail to reach the threshold for participation in the next Knesset.

02/22/2006 | NU Leader Elon Has Cancer

National Union Leader Benny Elon announced that he is currently undergoing treatment for throat cancer. The cancer was discovered last month and subsequently removed through surgery. He is now undergoing chemotherapy and has expressed full confidence that he will continue to lead the NU-NPR list and the Knesset delegation after the elections.

02/21/2006 | Kadima Socioeconomic Platform

Kadima Minister of Education Meir Sheetrit announced the Kadima party socioeconomic platform today. According to the Jerusalem Post, the platform focused on getting the unemployed back into the workforce as a means of generating revenue for the country and reducing poverty. unemployment.

Sheetrit also said that educational programs for the unemployed and poor as a way of reintroducing them to work, as well as introducing interest-free, long-term student loans.

Among the other points of the socioeconomic plan were a reduction in the number of foreign workers, lengthening the school day, and an obligatory pension plan for every worker.

02/21/2006 | Kadima to Support Civil Marriage

In a surprise announcement, the Centrist Kadima party announced today that the party intends to introduce legislation to legalize civil marriages and burials.

Religious authorities are currently responsible for all life-cycle issues (marriages, burials, conversions, etc) in Israel and, if passed, this would be a radical change for Israeli society.

02/20/2006 | Meretz: Accept Patrilineal Descent

According to Haaretz, the new Meretz party platform calls on Israel to accept non-Orthodox conversions. In addition to the platforms plank on conversions, the newly released platform also calls on the acceptance of patrilineal descent to define 'Jewishness'.

Meretz is hoping that its support of non-Orthodox conversion in Israel will improve Meretz's popularity among the 300,000 "mixed" couples in Israel, most of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

In the past, conversion, marriage, divorce, and burial law has been exclusively controlled by religious parties.

The Meretz platform states: "The child of either a Jewish father or Jewish mother will be considered a Jew. In addition, a convert who has joined the Jewish nation through either an Orthodox or non-Orthodox procedure will be considered a Jew."

Jewish law only considers the children of Jewish mothers to be Jews.

"Anyone who shows an interest in joining the Jewish religion and nation, defines himself as a Jew, speaks Hebrew, wants to live in Israel, and is acquainted with Jewish history and culture will be recognized as a Jew," according to the Meretz platform.

02/09/2006 | NRP, National Union Merge

After months of on again, off again negotiations, the National Religious Party and the National Union agreed to form a joint list for the upcoming elections. The final agreement was announced only hours to the final deadline to for registration.

According to the Jerusalem Post,the National Union will receive the first, third, fourth, sixth, eighth, ninth and 12th slots. The NRP was to receive the remaining spots.

National Union Chair Benny Elon received the top spot on the list with NRP Chairman Zevulun Orlev being number two, but will receive the first choice of any ministerial or Knesset post.

The parties also agreed that the coalition will remain for at least two years and formed a joint arbitration committee to resolve any disagreements that my arise.

02/07/2006 | Likud Announces Economic Platform

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, Likud head Binyamin Netanyahu vowed to eradicate poverty in Israel within three years when he presented the Likud's economic platform today.

Netanyahu suggested a reform in the budget's structure and the tax system in Israel.

The past finance minister outlined the Likud's 10-point socioeconomic plan. It includes lowering the maximum income tax from 49% to 40%, and lowering VAT by 2.5% to 14%.

The Likud also suggested establishing free daycare centers for single mothers, and free afternoon programs for their children, until the age of nine.

The program also provides for an increased subsidy for the elderly and a 50% discount on medications for seniors.

He also said the Likud would combat the monopolies and to continue processes of privatization and reform.

02/06/2006 | Olmert: We'll Cooperate with Abbas

According to YNet News, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel will continue to work with PA President Mahmud Abbas, as long as Hamas is not in the government.

“He was elected in transparent elections by a majority of the Palestinians, and as long as he does not cooperate with Hamas and as long as the Palestinian government is not led by Hamas, we will cooperate with the Palestinian Authority,” Olmert said.

02/05/2006 | Party List Deadline Nears

According the Jerusalem Post, the central elections committee will open its doors from 5 p.m. on Wednesday to Thursday night at midnight for parties to submit their lists on a first-serve basis.

Kadima finalized its list on Tuesday, but changes will have to be made if the Jerusalem District Court decides in a hearing set for Monday to bar National Union MK Michael Nudelman from running with Kadima or if Minister-without-Portfolio Tzahi Hanegbi decides not to run while he fights charges of making illegal political appointments.

The Likud, who has recently been in contact with other right-wing parties, including the NRP, to discuss the possibility of running a joint list, has decided to run alone.

MK Michael Ratzon, formerly of the Likud, decided over the weekend to head the Herut List. The second slot on the list will be given to Herut leader and former MK Michael Kleiner, the third to Ethiopian activist Avraham Nagosa and the fourth may go to Likud MK Ayoub Kara.

"I worked out a platform for Herut that Likudniks could vote for," Ratzon said. "Anyone who considers themselves between Likud and the National Union can vote for Herut. We have the potential to take away 30 percent of the National Union's votes and 20% of the Likud's, which would bring us six mandates."

The Tafnit Party of former IDF deputy chief of staff Maj.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, the remnants of the Shinui Party and the MKs who broke off from Shinui all have until Thursday's deadline to decide in what format to run in the election. Tafnit officials will decide on Sunday night whether to join together with Shinui MKs Ehud Rassabi and Ilan Leibovich.

02/05/2006 | Yisrael Beitenu Announces List

According to the Jerusalem Post,the Yisrael Beitenu Party announced its Knesset list which included several surprises.

While the top three spots were occupied by party favorites Avigdor Lieberman, Yuri Shtern and Israel Hasson, respectively, the fourth and fifth spots went to Yosef Shalgi and Astrina Tartarma.

01/31/2006 | Olmert Names Kadima List

The Kadima Party held its inaugural event in Jerusalem without Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and announced their 50 person Knesset list.

Olmert said that the party's two central goals would be defining Israel's border to ensure a clear Jewish majority and easing the social gap between rich and poor.

The list included 11 women, six generals, seven immigrants from the former Soviet Union, three religious people, three settlers, 11 Sephardim, five academics.

The top 50 names on the list are Olmert, Peres, Tzipi Livni, Meir Sheetrit, Avi Dichter, Marina Solodkin, Haim Ramon, Shaul Mofaz, Tzahi Hanegbi, Avraham Hirchson, Uriel Reichman, Gideon Ezra, Roni Bar-On, Dalia Itzik, Ze'ev Boim, Ya'acov Edri, Ze'ev Elkin, Majallie Whbee, Ruhama Avraham, Ben-Sasson, Shlomo Brazanich, Eli Aflalo, David Tal, Avigdor Yitzhaki, Ronit Tirosh, Michael Nudelman, Otniel Shneller, Amira Dotan, Yoel Hason, Shai Hermesh, Yitzhak Ben-Yisrael, Plassner, Shlomo Mula, Ben-David, Rachel Adato-Levy, Rina Goldberg, Lior Carmel, Liat Rabner, Shai Avital, Berkovich, Barzilai, Tamir, Gravetz, Michaeli, Karampa, Riffman, Rafi Ellu, Uri Sheetrit, Itzik Haddad and Amir Halevy.

01/26/2006 | Hamas Wins--What Next?

Pre-election polls had predicted a strong showing for Hamas: the Islamic Resistance Movement, in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. However, as the election results became clear throughout the night on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, most observers were shocked that Hamas had won the elections in a landslide, winning 73 seats (to Fatah's 46) in the 132 seat PLC.

In the aftermath of the elections, the Fatah controlled cabinet resigned en masse and calls came for PA President Mahmud Abbas to resign.

Israel's (and world leaders) cabinet quickly met to develop new policies in dealing with the PA.

01/25/2006 | Lapid Resigns

Shinui Chairman Yosef 'Tomy' Lapid resigned from Shinui and from political life this afternoon. The move comes amid infighting within the Shinui party and speculation that Lapid would soon be forced out of the party.

Shinui has been in a state of turmoil since the surprise showing of young newcomers ousted former number two on the party list Avraham Poraz and other long-time Shinui MK's in internal party voting.

In his press conference announcing his resignation, Lapid was quoted as saying 'Shinui, in its present incarnation, doesn't deserve the public's faith'.

01/23/2006 | Shalom: Separation if Hamas Wins

Former Foreign Minister and current number 2 on the Likud list, Silan Shalom, announced that if Hamas should win Wednesday's Palestinian Legislative Council elections, Israel should separate from the Palestinians without dismantling settlements.


According to Shalom, a Hamas win would be a sign that no partner for peace exists within the Palestinian camp and that the Road Map could not be implemented.

01/22/2006 | Bibi Willing to Make Concessions

Speaking at the prestigious Herziliya Conference, Likud Leader Binyamin Netanyahu said that, if elected Prime Minister, he will be willing to make compromises and offer the Palestinians concessions without sacrificing Israel's security.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu said that he would begin by removing settlement outposts and then gradually remove IDF checkpoints to allow unhindered Palestinian travel. He went on to say,that a Likud-led government would not be in favor of reoccupying or annexing Palestinian populated areas of Judea and Samaria.

01/22/2006 | Labor Platform-War on Poverty

At the Labor Party convention, Labor Chairman Amir Peretz introduced his new platform which call for strengthening the education system, raising the minimum wage, implementing mandatory pensions and waging a war on "big money" backed politics were at.

The platform also stressed that Labor, if elected, will pursue peace negotiations toward a permanent two state solution while maintaining a strong and united Jerusalem.

01/16/2006 | Peres Quits Knesset

After a record 47 years in the Knesset, MK Shimon Peres resigned from the Knesset along with other former Labor MK's Dalia Itzik and Haim Ramon. However, the three are likely to rejoin the Knesset after the March elections as all three are expected to be high on the Kadima list.

According the Jerusalem Post, the resignations were mandated by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz who ruled that the three would not be able to run in the upcoming elections on the Kadima ticket if they were appointed to Acting PM Olmert's caretaker cabinet while the 16th Knesset was still officially in office.

01/15/2006 | Olmert to Remain Acting PM

Israel news is reporting that Attorney General Menny Mazuz will inform Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that he will remain in this role until the March 28 elections.

Although PM Sharon's doctors have indicated that it is unlikely that he will be able to resume his duties, the AG does not want to declare Sharon 'permanently unable to perform his duties' as this designation is not reversible and would eliminate Sharon from returning to his role should he recover.

01/12/2006 | Shinui Primaries Shake-Up List

MK Avraham Poraz, along with four other Shinui MK's, quit the party after Poraz was defeated for the number two spot on the Shinui list for the next elections.

The party shake-up has raised speculation that party leader Tommy Lapid will announce his retirement from political life. After a strong showing in the last elections in which it received 15 mandates, recent polls indicate that Shinui will win only 3-5 mandates in the upcoming elections.

01/05/2006 | Sharon Survives Surgery-In Coma

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon survived two rounds of brain surgery totalling more than 9 hours and is now in a chemically induced coma which doctors anticipate lasting 72 hours.

According to Israeli news reports, close associates of the Prime Minister say that he has indeed suffered brain damage which will be apparent when, and if, he surfaces from the induced coma.

01/04/2006 | Sharon Suffers Major Stroke

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rushed to Hadassah Hospital Wednesday night where he suffered a 'major stroke' according to Israeli news sources. The PM is under anesthesia and is undergoing emergency neurosurgery in order to stem the bleeding in his brain. When asked about his condition, close associates of the PM said 'We must hope for a miracle'.

Powers have been transferred to Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

01/03/2006 | 6 Parties Apply for Recognition

According to the Jerusalem Post,six new political parties intended to apply for official status with the party registrar in Jerusalem.

If their requests are granted, the total number of political parties running in the March Knesset elections will exceed 70.

However, given the new higher threshold for entry into the Knesset (now at 2% or roughly 80,000 votes) a small percentage of these parties are likely to gain entry into the Knesset.

12/29/2005 | Poll: Support for Shinui Slipping

The latest poll released by Army Radio shows that, if elections were held today, Shinui - only four years removed from its meteoric rise in Israeli politics - Shinui may not clear the 2% threshold to be elected to the Knesset. The same poll showed Labor (17) and Likud (16) both showing slight gains with Kadima maintaining a strong showing of 42 mandates.

12/28/2005 | Avi Dichter Joins Kadima

Avi Dichter, the former director of the Shin Bet Security service, announced his intention to join Prime Minister Sharon's Kadima party. Dichter is likely to be given a high spot on the party's Knesset list and has been spoken of as a potential Minister of Defense or Internal Security in a Sharon-led government.

12/27/2005 | Sharon to Undergo Heart Surgery

According to the Jerusalem Post, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo a catheterization to insert a clam shell-shaped clamp on two sides of a small hole in his heart in two weeks. Doctors hope that the procedure will prevent the formation of more blood clots and greatly reduce his risk of a future strokes.

12/26/2005 | Uzi Dayan Forms New Party-Tafnit

Former Chief of the General Staff and Nephew of Moshe Dayan, Uzi Dayan, announced yesterday that he will run for election to the Knesset as the leader of the new Tafnit (Turning Point)party. According to Dayan, the party will fight political corruption and strive for permanent national security through creating a well-defined separation between Israel and the Palestinians.

12/20/2005 | Netanyahu New Likud Leader

MK and former Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu was declared the winner of the Likud party primaries on Monday thus becoming the new Chairman of the Likud. In the highly contested race, Netanyahu received 44% of the total votes cast, defeating Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom (33%), Jewish Leadership's Moshe Feiglin (12%) and Minister of Agriculture Yisrael Katz (9%).

12/20/2005 | PM Sharon Released from Hospital

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was released from Hadassah University Hospital - Ein Kerem today after a two day stay for a mild stroke. After thanking the hospital staff for their assistance he thanked all those from throughout the country for their thoughts during this time and declared that it was time to 'hurry back to work and move forward'.

12/19/2005 | Key Election Issue: Sharon's Health

As a result of Sharon's stroke, Kadima, the new party primarily built around the Prime Minister's persona, is likely to experience its first setback in the weekly newspaper polls. As of last Friday, Kadima was seen as winning 39 seats in the Knesset. Yet questions about Sharon's health--and even his future in politics--will result in a sharp drop in the polls, particularly when Labor, Likud and Shinui attack Kadima as a party built on one-man--an ailing and aging Ariel Sharon.

12/18/2005 | Sharon Suffers Light Stroke; Hospitalized

Haaretz reports that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rushed to hospital in Jerusalem on Sunday evening after suffering a minor stroke and briefly losing consciousness. His doctors later said that the prime minister was in a stable condition and was undergoing tests.

Several hours later, Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said the prime minister was functioning, and that Sharon said he was feeling well.

"Initial tests indicate that the prime minister has undergone a mild stroke and his condition improved during the tests. The prime minister was in full consciousness during the test," Dr. Yuval Weiss, deputy manager of Hadassah, later told reporters.

Opponents of Kadima will likely highlight Sharon's health -- and his advanced age of 77 -- in the upcoming campaign. Kadima, largely built around Sharon's persona, may suffer a setback if questions of the Prime Minister's health linger.

12/01/2005 | Peres Leaves Labor, Will Join Kadima

Shimon Peres retired after 46 years in the Knesset, but will likely serve as a senior minister in if Sharon's new party, Kadima, wins on March 28th.

Peres quit the party after losing interal Labor party primaries to Amir Peretz, a loss that set the stage for Israeli national elections.

11/22/2005 | Sharon's New Party Attracts MK's

Just a day after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon quit the Likud party and created a new centrist party, he's been joined by over 15 MK from Likud, Labor and other parties.

Sharon's new party is called Kadima.

11/21/2005 | Labor Leaves Coalition, Sharon Bolts Likud

On Monday, November 21, 2005, moves by the new head of the Labor Party, Amir Peretz, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, sent Israel into preparations for national elections.