With polls predicting Kadima may not pass the minimum threshold to enter the 19th Knesset, party leader Shaul Mofaz is trying to save the tattered party from vanishing from the political map along with his political career.

After seven Kadima MKs defected to The Movement party run by Tzipi Livni, she reached the magic number required to obtain the funding of those seven MKs, funds taken from Kadima, leaving Mofaz broke and with little hope in the upcoming general elections.

Realizing the situation is quite bleak Mofaz is now trying to torpedo the mass defection. Walla News quotes “Kadima officials” saying “Miss Clean herself (Livni) left Kadima, leaving the party with a debt of 38 million NIS. She abandoned the party after holding democratic elections, which she lost. Now she tries to destroy the party… this is Miss Clean’s double standard of morality, the ‘clean politics’ she speaks of in regard to the political arena”.

For Livni, on Sunday, 18 Kislev 5773 she took part in a media event in which former Labor party leader Amram Mitzne announced he was joining Livni, who he stated is the “only person who represents true change”.

Livni responded to Mofaz’ remarks stating “I never promised to remain with any party. A party is only a platform towards achieving one’s goals. This is the reason I left Likud. This is also the reason Kadima was established. We wished to achieve our goals. I left Kadima. I did not take the mandate with me. I left after I was out.”

MK Meir Sheetrit was the seventh Kadima MK to break, the key to bringing the party’s funding over to Livni. He was accused of “robbing Kadima”. In response he stated, “The one who created the debt was not Tzipi Livni. She did not address the debt well during her tenure but she inherited it from Ehud Olmert. During the municipal elections the Kadima debt was 25 million NIS. She could have done more.”

The final lists must be submitted by late Thursday afternoon, 22 Kislev. Until that time, the lists announced remain in the realm of speculation or unofficial. At present, it appears that former Chief of IDF Personnel Branch Major-General (reserves) Elazar Stern will not be moving with Rabbi Amsellem’s party, but he too will be in the Livni lineup.

Livni’s decision to turn down offers to join Labor or Yesh Atid (Yair Lapid) hit Lapid hardest, as polls now show his party in the single digits.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)