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Kadima Convention Show Next to Rehovot
On Saturday night there was only one draw in the small Israeli town of Nes Ziona - the political party Kadima. The rally projected an image of party unity for the election. Young and old, some sporting Kadima T-shirts saying "Yes, Kadima", flocked to this town of 30,000 people to see some of Israel's top politicians in action.
Before the doors opened, hundreds of people milled outside the rally's venue, chatting on phones and dragging on cigarettes. Seeing this smartly dressed crowd, a casual observer might have thought the town was hosting a film premiere or staging the opening night of a hit play.
They would not be far wrong.
In political terms, Kadima has become the biggest show in town. When it comes to votes, the party is topping the political box office and expected to lead the next Israeli government, according to opinion polls. Established four months ago, Kadima was born out of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to evacuate Jewish settlements from Gaza and the West Bank. As leader of ruling party Likud, Mr Sharon's spilt the party with his decision. In the end, Mr Sharon and other senior Likud members left the party and formed Kadima.
But in January, Mr Sharon suffered a massive stroke and has been in a coma ever since. Drawing politicians and supporters from the left and the right of the Israeli political spectrum, Kadima aims to occupy the Israeli centre ground. Mr Sharon served as the lynchpin of political unity, a politician trusted by many Israelis, particularly when it comes to security.
Connecting with people
But even without the party's star attraction, the Kadima show goes on. Kadima says that we are willing to make peace with the Palestinians but not at any price and that's why I support the party. When the doors to the rally eventually opened, the normally stringent Israeli security seemed to have been waved as people trampled into the hall, their bags unchecked and their bodies un-frisked.
"I can see people from both parties [Labour and Likud]," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, wearing a black trouser suit, told the 1,200-strong crowd who sat at tables topped by vases of flowers.
"In the past we would have been fighting outside over ideological issues but know we're sitting down together." With former Labour leader and Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres sitting on the raised podium beside the minister, actions spoke louder than words.
Kadima's hold over the Israeli electorate is the party's pledge to continue withdrawals of Jewish settlements from the West Bank. Kadima leader Ehud Olmert has pledged to draw Israel's final borders by 2010.
Star attraction
For Lilach Ozery, who had given up a night in Tel Aviv partying to attend the rally, Kadima represents change. "It's something new," says the 22-year-old grabbing a quick coffee between rally speeches. "It's a party that wants to make the change and is connecting with the people. "Kadima says that we are willing to make peace with the Palestinians but not at any price and that's why I support the party." While most of the party's big hitters were present at the campaign, there were two glaring absences - Kadima leader Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon. The party's leader, Ehud Olmert, is regarded by many as an accidental Israeli prime minister in waiting. He is regarded as miscast in his current role, who adds little to the party's appeal. Instead, it is Mr Sharon, currently lying comatose in a Jerusalem hospital, who continues to be Kadima's star attraction.
Source: Martin Patience. Israel's Kadima steals the show. BBC News website (22 March 2006) [FullText]
Before the doors opened, hundreds of people milled outside the rally's venue, chatting on phones and dragging on cigarettes. Seeing this smartly dressed crowd, a casual observer might have thought the town was hosting a film premiere or staging the opening night of a hit play.
They would not be far wrong.
In political terms, Kadima has become the biggest show in town. When it comes to votes, the party is topping the political box office and expected to lead the next Israeli government, according to opinion polls. Established four months ago, Kadima was born out of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to evacuate Jewish settlements from Gaza and the West Bank. As leader of ruling party Likud, Mr Sharon's spilt the party with his decision. In the end, Mr Sharon and other senior Likud members left the party and formed Kadima.
But in January, Mr Sharon suffered a massive stroke and has been in a coma ever since. Drawing politicians and supporters from the left and the right of the Israeli political spectrum, Kadima aims to occupy the Israeli centre ground. Mr Sharon served as the lynchpin of political unity, a politician trusted by many Israelis, particularly when it comes to security.
Connecting with people
But even without the party's star attraction, the Kadima show goes on. Kadima says that we are willing to make peace with the Palestinians but not at any price and that's why I support the party. When the doors to the rally eventually opened, the normally stringent Israeli security seemed to have been waved as people trampled into the hall, their bags unchecked and their bodies un-frisked.
"I can see people from both parties [Labour and Likud]," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, wearing a black trouser suit, told the 1,200-strong crowd who sat at tables topped by vases of flowers.
"In the past we would have been fighting outside over ideological issues but know we're sitting down together." With former Labour leader and Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres sitting on the raised podium beside the minister, actions spoke louder than words.
Kadima's hold over the Israeli electorate is the party's pledge to continue withdrawals of Jewish settlements from the West Bank. Kadima leader Ehud Olmert has pledged to draw Israel's final borders by 2010.
Star attraction
For Lilach Ozery, who had given up a night in Tel Aviv partying to attend the rally, Kadima represents change. "It's something new," says the 22-year-old grabbing a quick coffee between rally speeches. "It's a party that wants to make the change and is connecting with the people. "Kadima says that we are willing to make peace with the Palestinians but not at any price and that's why I support the party." While most of the party's big hitters were present at the campaign, there were two glaring absences - Kadima leader Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon. The party's leader, Ehud Olmert, is regarded by many as an accidental Israeli prime minister in waiting. He is regarded as miscast in his current role, who adds little to the party's appeal. Instead, it is Mr Sharon, currently lying comatose in a Jerusalem hospital, who continues to be Kadima's star attraction.
Source: Martin Patience. Israel's Kadima steals the show. BBC News website (22 March 2006) [FullText]
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