Shimoni. 'Only Sharon can bring peace'
Photo: Shalom Bar Tal
Bereaved mother to back Sharon
Orna Shimoni, who headed struggle to withdraw from southern Lebanon, declares Saturday she supports prime minister's Kadima party
Orna Shimoni, whose son Eyal was killed in Lebanon and who led the public struggle to withdraw from southern Lebanon as part of the Four Mothers movement, has announced her support of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Kadima party on Saturday.
Sources at Kadima told Ynet that Shimoni did not meet with Sharon and that she was not promised a spot on the party's list for the Knesset.
"Although my son died in Lebanon, and despite the fact that Sharon is the man who led Israel to the Lebanon war, I do not dwell on anger," Shimoni told Ynet. "I remember that he is the man who pulled us out of Gaza, and he is the only one who can lead us to peace," she explained.
However, Shimoni stated she intends to remain a member of the Labor party.
The bereaved mother said that she is willing to look forward and support the leader who is considered the architect of the war in Lebanon, which resulted in Israel's permanent presence in southern Lebanon for almost 20 years.
"Only Sharon's and Kadima's leadership can secure a continuation of the disengagement process in the West Bank. If we do not move in the direction of a Palestinian state, it would be impossible to promote the social developments we yearn for," she said.
"By turning Kadima into a large party, it would be possible to isolate the far-right and reduce Shinui's power. These two factions socially and economically lead Israel to a situation in which the small elite gets richer, while the majority of the population remains poor," she added.
