Kadima
Founded	November 21, 2005 by Ariel Sharon
Leader	Ehud Olmert
Number of MPs at height of power	29 (2006)
Political ideology	Liberalism, Centrism
Headquarters	Petah Tikva
Website	kadima.org.il
See also the Politics of Israel series

For the town by the same name, see Tzoran-Kadima. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (אריאל Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal In Politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting Moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes Petah Tikva (פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה "Opening of Hope" known as Em HaMoshavot ("Mother of the Moshavot " is a city in the Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Kadima Israel redirects here For the political party see Kadima. For other uses, see Kadima (disambiguation).

Kadima (Hebrew: קדימה‎, Forward) is a political party in Israel. Israel's Political system is based on Proportional representation which allows for a Multi-party system with numerous parties For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. It became the largest party in the Knesset after the 2006 elections, winning 29 of the 120 seats. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006.

Platform

Israel's media reported that Kadima released the main points of its national agenda on November 28, 2005 as presented by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni in a drafted statement:

• The Israeli nation has a national and historic right to the whole of Israel. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister However, in order to maintain a Jewish majority, part of the Land of Israel must be given up to maintain a Jewish and democratic state. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system
• Israel shall remain a Jewish state and homeland. Jewish majority in Israel will be preserved by territorial concessions to Palestinians. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn
• Jerusalem and large settlement blocks in the West Bank will be kept under Israeli control. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria
• The Israeli national agenda to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and achieve two states for two nations will be the road map. The "road map" for peace is a Plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a " quartet " of international entities the It will be carried out in stages: dismantling terror organizations, collecting firearms, implementing security reforms in the Palestinian Authority, and preventing incitement. At the end of the process, a demilitarized Palestinian state devoid of terror will be established. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
• Israel's political system will be modified to ensure stability. One possibility to achieve this goal would be to hold primary, regional and personal elections to the Knesset and the Prime Minister's office. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead
• Kadima would not rule out a future coalition partnership with any Israeli political party or person.

Political objectives and policies

President George W. Bush, center, discusses the Middle East peace process with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Aqaba, Jordan, June 4, 2003. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President For the town in the West Bank see Aqabah West Bank. Aqaba (العقبة Al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town in the far south of Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

In the early stages, the policies of Kadima directly reflected the views of Ariel Sharon and his stated policies.

Early statements from the Sharon camp reported by the Israeli media claimed that they were setting up a truly "centrist" and "liberal" party. It would appear that Sharon hoped to attract members of the Knesset from other parties and well-known politicians regardless of their prior beliefs provided they accepted Sharon's leadership and are willing to implement a "moderate" political agenda. It is known that Sharon believed strongly in the Road map for peace and had a close alliance with US President George W. Bush. The "road map" for peace is a Plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a " quartet " of international entities the The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States.

On the domestic front, Sharon had shown a tendency to agree with his past political partner, the pro-secular and outspokenly anti-religious Shinui party (his allies in the 2003 government), which sought to promote a secular civil agenda as opposed to the strong influence of Israel's Orthodox and Haredi parties. Shinui (שינוי lit Change) is a Zionist, Secular and anti-clerical Free market liberal party in Israel Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. One of the Haredi parties, United Torah Judaism, joined Sharon's last coalition at the same time as the Labour Party, after Shinui had left Sharon's original governing coalition. United Torah Judaism (יהדות התורה המאוחדת Yahadut HaTorah HaMeukhedet; UTJ) is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat In the past, Shinui had also called itself a "centrist" party because it rejected both Labour's socialism (its economic policies were free-market) and the Likud's opposition to a Palestinian state (however, from an international context, Shinui may have actually been on the centre-right). Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A free market is a Market in which property rights are voluntarily exchanged at a price arranged completely by the mutual consent of sellers and buyers

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni reportedly told Israel Army Radio that Kadima intended to help foster the desire for a separate Palestinian state, a move which was applauded by leftist Yossi Beilin. Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Army Radio (גלי צה"ל Galei Tzahal, lit IDF Waves) commonly known in Israel by its acronym Galatz (גל"צ is a nationwide Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently Dr Yosef "Yossi" Beilin (יוסי ביילין born in Petah Tikva on 12 June 1948) is a Left-wing Israeli politician

Sharon was one of the prime architects pushing for the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier that has been criticized by left-wing Israeli politicians, but was a cornerstone of Sharon's determination to establish Israel's final borders, which he saw himself as uniquely suited to do in the so-called "Final Status" negotiations. West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side

In a November 22 2005 press conference, Sharon also mentioned that he favored withdrawing from untenable Israeli settlements in the West Bank, although he declined to give an actual timeline or specifics for the proposed action. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria ^[1]

History

Kadima was formed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after he formally left the right-wing Likud party on 21 November 2005, to establish a new party which would grant him the freedom to carry out his policy of unilateral disengagement plan - removing Israeli settlements from Palestinian territory and fixing Israel's borders with a prospective Palestinian state. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead (אריאל In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in Israeli settlements are communities inhabited by Israelis in territory that was captured as a result of Jordanian attacks during the 1967 Six-Day War.

The name Kadima, which means "Forward" or "Onward", emerged within the first days of the split and was favored by Sharon. However, it was not immediately adopted, and the party was intitially named "National Responsibility" (Hebrew: אחריות לאומית, Ahrayaut Leumit),^[2] which was proposed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and enthusiastically endorsed by Reuven Adler, Sharon's close confidante and strategy advisor. Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Although "National Responsibility" was regarded as provisional, subsequent tests conducted with focus groups proved it much more popular than Kadima. "National Responsibility" seemed certain to become permanent. Surprisingly, however, it was announced on 24 November 2005 that the party had finally registered under the name Kadima. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The title Kadima has symbolic meaning for many Israelis because it is associated with the battle-charge of army officers, suggesting that Sharon may be attempting to highlight his military accomplishments ahead of the March 2006 elections. A common Hebrew word, however, the term Kadima has been ubiquitous in Israeli political rhetoric and is likely not indicative of any specific ideological bias, indeed, it had been used as a name before by early Zionist leader Nathan Birnbaum. Nathan Birnbaum is also the birth name of comedian George Burns. Nevertheless, the decision to name the party Kadima was criticised by Shinui leader Yosef Lapid, who remarked that it was too similar to Benito Mussolini's newspaper Avanti (Italian for "Forward"). Shinui (שינוי lit Change) is a Zionist, Secular and anti-clerical Free market liberal party in Israel Yosef "Tommy" Lapid (יוסף "טומי" לפיד born Tomislav Lampel (Томислав Лампел December 27, 1931 - ^[3]

Shimon Peres, former leader of Israel's Labour party, left Labour, formally joined Kadima and before being elected President of Israel was in the second place in the Kadima Knesset list after the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and before the Foreign and Justice Minister, Tzipi Livni. (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. The President of the State of Israel (נשיא המדינה Nesi HaMedina, lit

According to Sharon supporters, on the first day after its founding, Kadima already had nearly 150 members, most of whom were defectors from the Likud Party. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. ^[4] Several Knesset members from Labour, Likud, and other parties immediately joined the new party, including cabinet ministers Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni, Meir Sheetrit, Gideon Ezra and Avraham Hirschson. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. The Cabinet of Israel is a formal body composed of government officials chosen and led by a Prime Minister. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Meir Sheetrit (מאיר שטרית born 10 October 1948) is an Israeli politician Knesset member and has been Minister of the Interior Gideon Ezra (גדעון עזרא born 30 June 1937) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Kadima. Avraham Hirchson (אברהם הירשזון born February 11, 1941) served as the Finance Minister of Israel from May 4, 2006 Deputy ministers Ruhama Avraham, Majalli Wahabi, Eli Aflalo, Marina Solodkin, Ze'ev Boim and Yaakov Edri also joined the party, along with Likud MKs Roni Bar-On and Omri Sharon. Ruhama Avraham Balila (רוחמה אברהם בלילא born 29 January 1964) is an Israeli politician Majalli Wahabi (מגלי והבה مجلي وهبه also spelt Majalli Whbee, born 12 February 1954) is a Druze politician from Israel Ze'ev Boim (זאב בוים born 30 April 1943) is an Israeli politician Yaakov Edri, sometimes transliterated as Yakov Edery (יעקב אדרי born 25 November 1950) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset Former Histadrut chairman Haim Ramon of Labour decided to join the party shortly thereafter. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The Histadrut ("Federation" labour or HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel Haim Ramon (חיים רמון born 10 April 1950) is an Israeli Politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima.

On November 30, 2005, Shimon Peres quit Labour after more than 60 years with the party, and announced he would help Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pursue peace with the Palestinians. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. In the immediate aftermath of the illnesses of Ariel Sharon there was speculation that Peres might be chosen to take over as leader of Kadima. The illnesses of Ariel Sharon are a series of medical problems that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has experienced especially coming to the One poll suggested the party would win 42 seats in the March 2006 elections with Peres as leader compared to 40 if it were led by Ehud Olmert. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. Most senior Kadima leaders, however, were former members of Likud and indicated their support for Olmert as Sharon's successor.

Additional background on the party's formation

Prior to Kadima's formation, the political tug-of-war between Ariel Sharon and his right-wing supporters, both within the Likud and outside of it, was an on-going subject of speculation in Israeli politics and in the Israeli media. The expectation that Sharon would quit his own party to form a new party composed of his Likud allies and open the door to politicians from other parties to switch to the new party was dubbed the "big bang" (HaMapatz HaGadol) because it would result in a radical realignment of Israel's political landscape. The Big Bang is the cosmological model of the Universe that is best supported by all lines of scientific evidence and Observation. In a New York Times op-ed article in September 2004, William Safire had written about the coming (and inevitable) "big bang". An editorial, leader (UK or leading article (UK is an article in a Newspaper or Magazine that expresses the opinion of the Editor William L Safire (born December 17, 1929) is an American author semi-retired columnist and former Journalist and presidential

Split from Likud

A number of complex factors contributed to Ariel Sharon's split from the Likud. After the official split from the party, Sharon claimed it was a decision made on a single night's thought, but at the press conference announcing the formation of the new party, Sharon adviser and Kadima's new Director General, Avigdor Yitzhaki, accidentally revealed that work on the project had been going on for several months. ^[5]

Sharon was known for often building complex coalition parties within Israeli politics. Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Sharon began his political career as an aggressively activist officer in the Israel Defense Forces and protege of David Ben-Gurion. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit In 1973, Sharon was elected as a member of the Likud when he emerged as an Israeli war hero following the 1967 Six-Day War and in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War (מלחמת יום הכיפורים transliterated: Milkhemet Yom HaKipurim or מלחמת יום From June 1975 to March 1976, after resigning from parliament, Sharon served as special advisor to Labour Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. With the approach of the 1977 elections he established the economically left-leaning Shlomtzion Party, which secured only two Knesset seats, was then rebuffed by Labour, then finally merged with the Herut movement within the Likud. Shlomtzion ( Hebrew: שלומציון a contraction of Shalom-Zion, or Peace-Zion) was an political party in Israel. Sharon built the foundations and electoral power of the right-leaning Likud party which, under the leadership of Menachem Begin, became the main governing party of Israel in 1977. (מְנַחֵם בְּגִין Mieczysław Biegun Менахем Вольфович Бегин 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992 was the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel

Sharon helped to create the Likud as an amalgam (Likud means "consolidation") of the center-right Liberal Party and the larger Herut party, together with two smaller right-wing parties. The Israeli Liberal Party (מפלגה ליברלית ישראלית Miflega Libralit Yisraelit) was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors This article is about the political party For other uses see Herut (disambiguation. Sharon led the Likud from 1999, taking over from Binyamin Netanyahu, becoming Prime Minister of Israel in 2001. (בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21 1949, Tel Aviv) was The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead

The rise of the Likud represented a maturing phase in the history of Israeli democracy, as power was peacefully transferred from an incumbent political party to the opposition.

After a period of rapidly changing coalition governments, Sharon formed a coalition of his Likud with Labour in December 2004 in order to implement Israel's disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip, without concern for the political backlash from the more extreme right-wingers within the Likud and in other parties that had previously been his strongest supporter base. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west

Ehud Olmert, one of the former leaders of the Likud party, Prime Minister of Israel (Acting PM upon Sharon's incapacitation, formally took office April 14, 2006) and Finance, Trade and Industry Minister

Internal opposition within the Likud

In 2005 the implementation of the unilateral disengagement plan exposed enormous rifts inside the Likud and wider society in Israel. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in Benjamin Netanyahu capitalised on the split within the Likud by aligning himself with the rejectionist faction. (בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21 1949, Tel Aviv) was While Sharon's popularity grew among the Israeli populace at large, it declined inside the Likud party structure.

Sharon, as leader of the opposition, benefited politically from the outburst of the Al-Aqsa Intifada against Israel in September 2000. He further benefited from the Barak administration's failure to reach "Final Status" agreements with the Palestinians at the Camp David 2000 Summit and Taba summit in January 2001 as well as the following waves of Palestinian suicide bombings that created a general sense of insecurity. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister The Taba summit (also known as Taba Summit, Taba Talks, Taba Conference, Taba, or permanent status talks at Taba) were talks between This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons

The general disillusionment with the Israeli center-left's policies and the souring of prospects for a negotiated peace with the Palestinians led towards a general rightward political shift, which Sharon and the Likud capitalized upon. Sharon became prime minister in March of 2001, defeating Labour's Barak in a landslide victory. In Politics, a landslide victory (or landslide) is the victory of a candidate or Political party by an overwhelming margin in an Election The Israeli populace re-elected Sharon again in 2003 in another landslide victory, beating Labour's politically dovish Amram Mitzna. Amram Mitzna (עמרם מצנע born 20 February 1945) is an Israeli politician

As Sharon compromised politically by aligning with Labour and other factions in the Knesset, politicians in the far right of the Likud leadership became vocal in opposing a number of his policies, handing him defeats in Knesset votes. For Beit Knesset a Jewish Place of worship, see Synagogue. The Knesset (כנסת lit As a sign of continued acrimony, they also refused to confirm his nominations of his closest allies to ministerial positions in 2005. This breakdown in party discipline threatened Sharon's grip on governmental policy and forced him to expend political capital on maintaining party unity.

Netanyahu resigned on August 7 2005 as finance minister, saying the government's implementation of the unilateral disengagement plan endangered the safety of Israeli citizens. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Israel's unilateral disengagement plan ( Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תוכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in Sharon was then unable to get approval from the Likud Central Committee for his key ally Ehud Olmert to that position, which was a source of frustration and personal humiliation. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader

Supporters from the Labour Party

The final stroke was the unexpected ousting of Sharon's ally Shimon Peres, as leader of the Labour Party by the election of left-wing Histadrut union leader Amir Peretz in an internal ballot on 8 November 2005. (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The Histadrut ("Federation" labour or HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel Amir Peretz (עמיר פרץ عمير بيريتز born 9 March, 1952) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset.

Amir Peretz demanded that all Labour Party ministers who served with Sharon and the Likud resign from the unity government and called for dissolution of the 16th Knesset and for new elections in early March 2006, overriding the previously anticipated election date in November 2006. Elections for the 16th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 January 2003. Politics of Israel takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Israel is Stories without links will be removed. News stories must be in English

When all the labour ministers had resigned, Sharon lost his "safety net" of supporters from Labour for the implementation of his political agenda, which included continuing negotiations with the Palestinian Authority for "permanent borders" and a hoped-for final resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

By the end of that same month, Sharon announced the formation of Kadima.

Doubts following Sharon's medical problems

The ramifications of Sharon's close identification with Kadima moved the party in an unexpected direction due to his mounting medical problems, which began only a few weeks after Kadima was formed. First, Sharon was hospitalized on 18 December 2005 after reportedly suffering a minor stroke. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain ^[6] This introduced a serious element of uncertainty for Sharon's and Kadima's supporters.

During his hospital stay, Sharon was also diagnosed with a minor hole in his heart and was scheduled to undergo a cardiac catheterization to fill the hole in his atrial septum on January 5, 2006. The heart is a muscular organ in all Vertebrates responsible for pumping Blood through the Blood vessels by repeated rhythmic Cardiac catheterization ( heart cath) is the insertion of a Catheter into a chamber or vessel of the Heart. The interatrial septum is the wall of tissue that separates the right and left atria of the Heart. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. However, on January 4, 2006, 22:50 Israel Time (GMT +0200) Sharon suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke, and was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem to undergo brain surgery. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert succeeded him as Prime Ministerial candidate. Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Without Sharon, there was uncertainty about the future of the party. Nevertheless, three polls taken shortly after Sharon's illness showed that Kadima continued to lead its rivals by large margins. ^[7]. Later polls showed Kadima strengthening its power base further, particularly amongst left wing voters who had opposed Sharon in the past.

On January 16, 2006, party members chose Ehud Olmert as acting chairman for the March elections. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Elections for the 17th Knesset were held in Israel on 28 March 2006. ^[8] Kadima won 29 seats, and Olmert was nominated for the post of Prime Minister.

Tzipi Livni, one of the former leaders of the Likud party, Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister

Membership

Former Likud members

Main article: Likud

• Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister
• Ehud Olmert, former Vice Premier, Finance Minister and mayor of Jerusalem
• Shaul Mofaz, former Defense Minister
• Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister and Justice Minister
• Tzahi Hanegbi, acting chairman of the Likud party following Sharon's resignation, later moved to Kadima
• Gideon Ezra, Internal Security Minister
• Avraham Hirschson, Tourism Minister
• Meir Sheetrit, Transportation Minister
• Yaakov Edri, Deputy Internal Security Minister
• Omri Sharon, Sharon's son
• Marina Solodkin
• Roni Bar-On
• Ruhama Avraham
• Eli Aflalo
• Ze'ev Boim
• Majallie Whbee
• Roni Milo, former mayor of Tel Aviv
• Yossi Ben-David, mayor of Yehud
• Shimon Lankri, mayor of Acre
• Haim Barbibai, mayor of Kiryat Shmona
• Zvi Zilker, mayor of Ashdod
• Yossi Nishri, mayor of Kiryat Ono
• Zamir Ben-Ari, mayor of Giv'at Shmuel

Former Labour members

Main article: Labor Party (Israel)

• Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister (current President)
• Haim Ramon, former Minister
• Dalia Itzik, former Minister
• Rafi Elul
• Efi Oshaya
• Eli Ben-Menachem
• Shmuel Riffman, a prominent figure among secular Kibbutzniks and Ramat HaNegev Regional Council chairman
• Meir Nitzan, mayor of Rishon LeZion
• Menachem Ariav, mayor of Nazareth Illit
• Tallal Kirnaui, mayor of the Bedouin city Rahat
• Shuki Forer, mayor of Rehovot
• Nava Barak, ex-wife of Ehud Barak

Former members of other parties

• Michael Nudelman, MK for Yisrael Beiteinu
• Professor Uriel Reichman, founder and former president of Shinui, president of Herzliya Interdiciplinary Centre
• David Tal, MK for Noy, One Nation and Shas
• Yona Yahav, MK for Labour and current Shinui-Greens Mayor of Haifa

Other prominent figures

• Avi Dichter, Former Shabak head
• Ronit Tirosh, Director-General of the Ministry of Education
• Azzam Azzam, Druze Israeli citizen, held prisoner in Egypt for 8 years
• Haim Erez, General (res. Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. (אריאל Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the (שאול מופז born November 4, 1948 in Tehran, Iran) is the current Israeli Minister of Transportation and a Deputy Tzipora Malka "Tzipi" Livni (ציפורה מלכה "ציפי" לבני born 8 July 1958 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is Foreign Affairs Minister Tzachi Hanegbi (צחי הנגבי born 26 February 1957) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima. Gideon Ezra (גדעון עזרא born 30 June 1937) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Kadima. Avraham Hirchson (אברהם הירשזון born February 11, 1941) served as the Finance Minister of Israel from May 4, 2006 Meir Sheetrit (מאיר שטרית born 10 October 1948) is an Israeli politician Knesset member and has been Minister of the Interior Yaakov Edri, sometimes transliterated as Yakov Edery (יעקב אדרי born 25 November 1950) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset Omri Sharon (עמרי שרון born 19 August 1964) is the son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and a former Marina Solodkin (מרינה סולודקין born 31 May 1952) is a Russian Israeli politician and a member of the Knesset for Roni Bar-On (רוני בר-און born 2 June 1948) is an Israeli politician and lawyer Ruhama Avraham Balila (רוחמה אברהם בלילא born 29 January 1964) is an Israeli politician Eli Aflalo (אלי אפללו born 8 September 1952) is an Israeli politician Ze'ev Boim (זאב בוים born 30 April 1943) is an Israeli politician Majalli Wahabi (מגלי והבה مجلي وهبه also spelt Majalli Whbee, born 12 February 1954) is a Druze politician from Israel Roni Milo (רוני מילוא born 26 November 1949) is an Israeli politician lawyer and journalist and a former Knesset member who held Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Yehud (יהוד is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. Kiryat Shmona (קִרְיַת שְׁמוֹנָה lit City of the Eight is a City located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes Eng' Zvi Zilker (צבי צילקר Tzvi Tzilker, born 1933) is current mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel. Ashdod (אַשְׁדּוֹד اشدود إسدود Isdud) located in the South District of Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea coast Kiryat Ono (קִרְיַת אוֹנוֹ also Qiryat Ono) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel. Giv'at Shmuel (גִּבְעַת שְׁמוּאֵל is a city in the Tel Aviv district, Israel, and is surrounded by the major cities Ramat Gan, Bnei (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Haim Ramon (חיים רמון born 10 April 1950) is an Israeli Politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima. Dalia Itzik (דליה איציק born 20 October 1952, is an Israeli politician affiliated with the Kadima party A kibbutz ( Hebrew: קיבוץ קִבּוּץ lit "gathering clustering" plural kibbutzim) is a collective community in Ramat Negev Regional Council (מועצה אזורית רמת נגב Mo'atza Ezorit Ramat Negev, lit Meir Nitzan (born 1932 is the mayor of Rishon LeZion, Israel, currently serving his 5th term Rishon LeZion (רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן lit First to Zion is the fourth-largest city in Israel, located along the central Israeli Nazareth Illit (נָצְרַת עִלִּית is a city in the North District of Israel. The Bedouin, (from the Arabic (ar بدوي pl badū) are a desert-dwelling Arab Nomadic pastoralist, or previously Rahat (רַהַט رهط is a city in the South District of Israel. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and Michael Nudelman (מיכאל נודלמן born June 30 1938 in Kiev, Ukraine) is an Israeli politician Yisrael Beiteinu (ישראל ביתנו lit Israel is Our Home) is a Right-wing Political party in Israel. Shinui (שינוי lit Change) is a Zionist, Secular and anti-clerical Free market liberal party in Israel President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. David Tal (דוד טל born 26 February 1950) is an Israeli Politician and a member of the Knesset for Kadima. Noy (נוי was a short-lived one-man political faction in Israel. One Nation (עם אחד Am Ehad) was a socialist Political party in Israel. Shas (ש״ס is a political party in Israel, primarily representing Haredi Sephardi and Mizrahi Judaism. Yona Yahav (יונה יהב born June 19, 1944) is an Israeli lawyer and politician Shinui (שינוי lit Change) is a Zionist, Secular and anti-clerical Free market liberal party in Israel The Greens (הירוקים HaYerukim) is a minor political party in Israel currently headed by Pe'er Visner. Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest City in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country with Avi Dichter (born December 4, 1952) is an Israeli politician currently Israel's Minister of Public Security and a member of Knesset from the The (שב"כ an acronym for Sherut Bitahon Klali (שירות ביטחון כללי lit Ronit Tirosh (רונית תירוש born 8 December 1953) is an Israeli politician and a member of the Knesset for Kadima. Azzam Azzam (עזאם עזאם (born 1963 is a Druze Israeli who was convicted in Egypt of spying for Israel, and jailed for eight years The Druze ( Arabic: درزي derzī or durzī, plural دروز durūz) are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon ), former Head of the IDF Southern Command and former CEO of Israel Chemicals

Current Knesset members

The following are the first fifty one Kadima members on the party list announced on 31 January 2006. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It had originally been rumored that Ariel Sharon would be given the first slot as a symbolic gesture, but this did not take place. Kadima's spokeswoman commented that the still-unconscious Sharon was prevented from running on the Kadima list as he could not sign the official form to join.

In the 2006 election, Kadima won 29 Knesset seats, so the top 29 candidates listed below became MKs. Uriel Reichman, 11th on the list, resigned from the Knesset on 28 April 2006 after the promise that he would become Education Minister was reneged upon. This article lists Israeli Ministers of Education since the formation of the first government in 1949 His place was taken by Shai Hermesh. Shai Hermesh (שי חרמש born 23 March 1944) is an Israeli politician and Member of the Knesset for Kadima.

Place in political spectrum

There has been some debate over where Kadima lies on the political spectrum. Many in the Western media use the terms "centrist"^[9] (in that it is positioned between the Labour and Likud), occasionally "centre-right" to describe the party. In Politics, centrism usually refers to the political ideal of promoting Moderate policies which land in the middle ground between different political extremes Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. The centre-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals political parties or organizations (such as Think tanks whose views ^[10] The party may be viewed from an international perspective as being on the right in the security sphere, due to its position of holding on the major settlements, but also due to its use of the separation barrier. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities West bank walljpg|thumb|Aerial view looking east from the Israeli side However, since the political centre of Israel is more to the right of some European nations, they could possibly be seen as centrist, from an Israeli perspective. It may be more likely that, with the arrival of Kadima, the political centre has shifted to the left in Israel and what was once a leftist position is now centrist. Founder Ariel Sharon was for most of his life on the right of Israeli politics (although he initially belonged to the leftist Mapai) and most of its elected membership are former Likud party members, but it also has a number of notable ex-Labour MP's. for the town in Mozambique see Mapai Mozambique Mapai (מפא"י an acronym for Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael (מפלגת It is probably too early to say where it lies on either the Israeli or international political spectrum.

References

External links

• Official website (Hebrew) (Russian)
• Kadima Knesset website (English)