Seeking to avoid targeting his former political home, Vice Premier Chaim Ramon told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Sunday morning that the Labor Party is not Kadima’s enemy, but the Likud is. He told Razi Barkai today, his warnings against permitting Ehud Barak to assume control of Labor are understood by all, seeing the damage his leadership has had on the party.

Ramon decided he will not be resigning from the political arena just yet, explaining Tzipi Livni has requested he play a senior role in the party’s election effort.

“Extremist party” was the term he used in his reference to Likud, warning against electing Binyamin Netanyahu, pointing out that he failed as prime minister once before. He acknowledged more must be done towards economic stability in response to the global economic crisis, but he fell short of criticizing Finance Minister Roni Bar-On, a close party colleague.

Kadima critics are demanding an explanation from Tzipi Livni for not only permitting Ramon to remain but encouraging him to do so following his conviction for an indecent act involving a female colleague. They feel that Ramon’s continuation in the party, in a senior role, is contrary to Livni’s promises to maintain a new level of acceptable behavior among Kadima officials and clean politics in Israel.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)