We all hope Prime Minister Ariel Sharon recovers and leads the Kadima party and the government through the tests awaiting Israel in the run-up to the general election and after that. However, it is always worthy to ponder the worst-case scenario in which Kadima members would have to make a difficult and complicated decision: Will they be ready to abandon their political ambitions and focus on creating a balanced centrist party, or will their personal aspirations lead to a destruction of a dream shared by most Israelis that in 2006 the State of Israel should have an unambiguous political Right, a clear political Left and an obvious political Center.
| Politics |
|
| After the freeze / Attila Somfalvi |
|
Everyone will try to seize opportunity created by Sharon’s departure, Attila Somfalvi writes |
| Full Story |
|
|
|
There is no doubt that Ariel Sharon was a reliable leader of great might, and therefore he was a figure accepted by all. His opinion is accepted indisputably and even if there is objection, it is done quietly behind the scenes. Today, when the authoritative political leader is unable to decide over differences of ideological or personal opinions, the situation will be new to Kadima.
History teaches us that new factions, which lack tradition, organization and legal institutions, are unable to reach consensual decisions and are drawn into internal disputes that lead to their dissolution.
It suffices to look back at the ‘Third Way’, a centrist party that no longer exists, and at recent polls pointing to centrist Shinui heading to a similar future.
Kadima and Sharon were interdependent – leader and party. It will be difficult to convince the public that a new party can continue to exist and achieve impressive electoral results without the involvement of the charismatic and active Sharon.
The main challenge is to try reaching significant electoral results in the upcoming elections. The rule is: Significant election results strengthen the leadership, and an election defeat weakens the leadership and leads to the eventual dissolution of the party.
The fate of Kadima is in the hands of the Israeli electorate. If Israelis want a new political order that has significant implications for the future of Israel, they need to do this in the upcoming elections. If this time around efforts to create three distinct political centers fail, it seems that it would never be possible to establish a strong centrist political platform in Israel: A serious centrist body that can lead the country in partnership with other political parties without abandoning the rational way of Israel’s political center.
RSS
