Livni. Broad support from Kadima members Photo: Reuters
Mayors, Kadima activists to Livni: Sit in opposition
Mayors from Haifa, Ramat Gan, and Ramla join some 450 key Kadima activists in petition calling chairwoman not to join national unity government: 'We won't make right-wing government kosher.' Livni and Netanyahu slated to meet Sunday evening
Some 450 key Kadima
activists, along with a number of mayors from major Israeli cities, signed a petition in support of Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni's
decision to sit in the opposition.
Kadima's Petach Tikva headquarters reported that ever since tens of thousands of text messages were sent to party members about the decision no to join a national unity government with Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu,
hundreds of phone calls have been received showing their support for the step.
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The petition was distributed to Kadima supporters with the intention of signaling to Livni's rivals that her decision enjoys broad support among Kadima's central activists.
The petition stated: "We wish to express our sincere appreciation for the path you lead in the recent election campaign and on the achievement you made for the Kadima party. We, mayors, regional directors, headquarter managers, and central activists in Kadima are holding your hand and would like to show our support for you and any decision you make.
"It is not our intention to make kosher to right-wing government that is about to be established, and we want to go to the opposition in order to provide an alternative of hope for the people of Israel
and its country. We stand behind you and behind your brave and correct decision."
Among those signed on the petition are mayors Yona Yahav from Haifa, Reuven Ben-Shahar from Givatayim, Tzvi Bar from Ramat Gan, Yoel Lavi from Ramla, Ilan Shahat from Safed, and Shimon Lankri from Akko, among others.
The Kadima faction will convene Sunday evening in the Knesset building in order to discuss the option of coalition negotiations with Likud
three hours before Livni is slated to meet with Netanyahu.
Most senior Kadima officials support Livni's stance, but a small number of them prefer to wait and see what Netanyahu has to offer before making any final decisions.
Leading the camp of those in favor of negotiating with Likud is Minister Shaul Mofaz, who has remained silent recently, refusing to publicly support the tack adopted by Livni. A Kadima official in support of Livni said, "The petition of activists is meant to clarify to whoever is hesitant about what Kadima wants and what needs to be done in light of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition."
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