With the Kadima primaries only days away, the criticism between election camps is on the increase, with the Livni campaign using derogatory terms to describe the large Sephardi following enjoyed by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, her main competitor in the party leadership race.
 
Mofaz responded angrily, accusing Livni is setting events back 30 years, to the time when such tainted terms were commonplace, adding his supporters are angry and offended and if she wins the election, many will undoubtedly leave the party. Mofaz added that Livni lacks leadership abilities and she does not have a clue as how to address the harsh remarks released by her campaign officials.
 
One senior Mofaz campaign official, a northern Tel Avivian of Ashkenazi origin, stated it is known and the polls verify that the campaign is indeed split by ethnic origin, with most of the party’s Ashkenazim following Livni and the Sephardim following Mofaz.
 
Livni campaign officials accuse Mofaz of taking advantage of an anonymous remark which he realizes does not represent the sentiments of the Livni campaign. Minister Eli Aflalo, aligned with the Livni campaign, was also critical of the attempt to “open the cork of the bottle of ethnic racism in the campaign.”

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)