US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV6673

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006673 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, IS, ELECTIONS 2006, GOI INTERNAL 
SUBJECT: "KADIMA" ATTRACTING CROSS-SECTION OF POLITICAL 
SPECTRUM 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 6624 
 
1.  Summary: Prime Minister Sharon continues to court 
national and local politicians from across the political 
spectrum to join his new party, "Kadima."  Former Labor Party 
Leader Shimon Peres is considering whether to join Sharon and 
is to announce his decision on November 30.  Sharon currently 
heads a Cabinet shrunk to 12 members, divided evenly between 
Likud and Kadima ministers.  He is waiting until the official 
December 8 publication of the presidential decree to dissolve 
the Knesset, at which time he will be permitted to appoint 
new ministers without Knesset approval.  End Summary. 
 
2.  Kadima Attractions 
 
-- In the end, Prime Minister Sharon reverted to the name 
"Kadima" ("forward"), for his new centrist party, and 
officially registered it as such on November 24. 
 
-- Sharon held his first meeting of the Kadima faction 
November 28 in the Knesset. 
 
-- Sharon currently has 16 MKs in his party: himself, 13 
other Likud MKs (see reftel), former Am Ehad MK David Tal, 
and former National Union MK Michael Nudelman.  Pursuant to 
Israeli law, MK Chaim Ramon, who announced that he is leaving 
the Labor Party to join Kadima, can join Kadima only after 
the elections. 
 
-- Former Labor Party leader Shimon Peres is considering 
whether to leave the Labor Party and join Kadima.  Sharon 
reportedly is offering Peres a ministerial position to 
address the peace process in some capacity.  A close 
associate of Peres told Israel Radio November 28 that Peres 
is likely to join Kadima and will announce his decision 
November 30. 
 
-- Sharon met with Uriel Reichman, a founder of the Shinui 
Party and head of the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, 
about joining Kadima.  A move by Reichman would be a serious 
blow to Shinui leader Tommy Lapid whose 14-MK faction stands 
to be reduced in the coming election. 
 
-- Israeli Arab Mayor of Kfar Qassem Sami Issa confirmed to 
the media that Sharon's associates are holding talks with 
political figures in the Arab sector to persuade them to join 
Kadima.  Issa has not announced whether he will join Kadima. 
 
-- Sharon invited some 70 Likud mayors and a number of Labor 
Party and independent mayors to his residence on November 29 
as part of his campaign to recruit new members for his party. 
 
3.  Transition Government 
 
--  The December 8 official publication of the presidential 
decree to dissolve the Knesset starts a 21-day clock during 
which an absolute majority of MKs (61) can request that the 
President charge one MK with the task of forming a new 
government.  In the unlikely event that a single MK could 
garner sufficient support to forward such a request, the MK 
so charged has 28 days to form a new government.  If no such 
candidate emerges, the Knesset dissolves at the end of the 
21-day period. 
 
-- According to the November 23 agreement between President 
Katsav and Knesset members (reftel), as of December 8, Sharon 
can appoint from among Knesset members ministers to fill the 
eight slots vacated by the Labor Party.  Sharon may choose 
not to fill two of the Labor slots, that of 
minister-without-portfolio, which has been held by Chaim 
Ramon, and that of vice premier, which had been created 
especially for Peres.  Any new appointments require only 
Cabinet approval.  The Cabinet now consists of six Likud 
ministers and six Kadima ministers. 
 
-- Sharon granted himself additional ministerial portfolios 
for the next two weeks, until he appoints new ministers from 
his Kadima party.  Sharon serves as minister for National 
Infrastructure, Communications, Interior, Housing and 
Construction, Environment, Science and Technology, and Social 
Welfare. 
 
4.  Pre-Election Political Dynamics 
 
-- The National Union and National Religious Party are 
discussing the possibility of a merger, with negotiations to 
begin this week.  The National Union currently has six 
Knesset seats and the NRP has four. 
 
-- The chairman of the left-wing Meretz-Yahad Party, Yossi 
Beilin, announced at his party's convention November 27 that 
Meretz would consider joining a coalition with Sharon if 
Sharon forms the next government. 
 
 
 
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