Arik Sharon himself is personally popular, but the others who have joined him in his new party are the losers of the other parties. The Likud MKs who defected would never have achieved a realistic spot on the new slate. Chaim Ramon of Labor didn't even run for the party chairmanship in the recent race. And, now, Shimon Peres is thinking of joining... Kadima may win seats because of of Sharon's popularity, but it will be a one-term win. The Likud will outlast him.

I think that Sharon's new party will be a winner. Why? Because it is not based on any right wing or left wing ideology. It is based on pragmatism. And that is what most Israelis want. Sensible, pragmatic and realistic solutions to the very real problems that we face here in Israel.

Mr. Friedman in his proposition that Kadima will not follow other breakaway parties ignores one important difference. Sharon broke away because he found the central committee of the Likkud as a hindrance to his own plans. His personality is such that he has great difficulty in following orders unless they concur with his own ideas. In the "Yom Kippur War" by Abraham Rabinowich he relates that on three separate occasions Sharon, who was one of three division commanders in Sinai did the following. Disagreeing with his superior commander, from the field of battle he telephoned Begin who was a minister in the government at that time, to use his influence upon Dayan to counter -command his superior. On another occasion, he went over the heads of all of his superiors and appealed to the Minister of Defense Dayan to have him change their plans and accept one of his own making. One a third occasion he refused to carry out an order and when threatened with dismissal as division commander, he fell into line. Our sages tell us that he who creates, creates in his own image. The new party will reflect his autocratic personality and when Sharon departs, there may be squabbles over a successor, but there does not appear to be another personality like Sharon's to hold it together Those wannabees who join him may regret their hasty political decisions.