Minister of the Interior Meir Sheetrit, who is a contender in the Kadima leadership race, last night told Channel 1 TV News that he favors elections, explaining that regardless of who is elected to head the Kadima Party, the current government has reached the end of its tenure and the proper step is to go to the polls and permit the nation to vote its conscience.

Sheetrit stated that in order to make a deal at present to establish a new government, the party would have to give into “chareidi blackmail” and this would be reflected in the national budget and the issue of monthly child allowance payments, as per demands from the Shas party.

Joining in the call for national elections is opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, who according to the polls would emerge the victor in an election today, regardless of who is elected the Kadima leader.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)