Mofaz says Livni causing damage to Israel
Kadima's No. 2 slams his party's leader in special press briefing. He says opposition chairwoman lacks leadership, makes decisions based on text messages received from her advisors. Aide to Livni: Claims pathetic
Speaking at a special press briefing at the Knesset following a faction meeting, Mofaz said that "the State is suffering because Kadima is not in the government. Kadima is also suffering, as are the faction members who have no influence. This is not her movement, this is not my movement, and this is not anyone's movement. The situation in Kadima is that the mechanism is a black box and the party's code is Draconian.
"When I see the damage she caused to the State and to Kadima, I can't sit still. I can't see her causing damage and sit still," he added.
"If Livni wants credit, I told her, 'Go ahead, receive the credit from Kadima's members," said MK Mofaz, who has been trying to promote primary elections in his party in the near future, despite Livni's objection.
"I am democratically challenging (Livni's leadership), and I want it to happen within three months. I said that I demand an answer," he stated.
"After Kadima got 28 Knesset seats and had a chance to form a government, no one knew what Bibi (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) offered her. We never heard what he offered her. Today we know that he offered many positions. She rejected all of that. Kadima could have been a key part of this government today. This created a situation of distrust in her leadership," Mofaz added.
'Advisors telling her what to do'
Kadima's No. 2 went on to attack Livni for failing to make decisions without consulting her advisors. He said that during the faction meeting, when she was asked about the primaries issue, "she didn't know how to respond at first, and then she was told to 'put it up for a vote immediately.' She sent an SMS and kept turning her phone to see the answer. Then, when the answer came, she said, 'Now we will vote on it.' She was suddenly so determined, because someone must have told her what to do."Mofaz slammed what he referred to as Livni's "lack of leadership", claiming that her advisors were the ones making the decisions for Kadima.
"I fear for the next decision. No one in Kadima's top brass was part of the key decision making, including in the latest incident. We did not take part. If there are no primaries I don’t know what will happen. With every day that passes without a credit for her leadership, damage is caused."
He also addressed claims he had made recently about actions "bordering criminal offenses" in Kadima. "Her spokespeople said that if I have any claims I should turn to the police. I am not going to complain about the primaries. I am talking about irregularities on the municipal level, which are being checked by the state comptroller. There is a deficit of millions of shekels. If she wants me to go to the police, I'll go to the police."
Livni associate: Mofaz 'folded'
The opposition chairwoman's aides said in response that Mofaz had "folded" in the moment of truth at the faction meeting. According to one of the associates, "If this is Mofaz's way to explain why he folded in the moment of truth and refused to raise his proposal for early primaries for a vote, this shows that he was greatly embarrassed."
According to Livni's aides, she had made it clear to Mofaz that the faction could vote on his call for early primaries as early as Monday, unless he asks not to vote on it. "Mofaz chose, and he knows exactly why, not to hold the vote today," one of the associates said.
The associate added, "Mofaz's claims are pathetic, and the text messages story is particularly strange and completely pathetic. It mainly testifies to the shock he was in during the faction meeting after Tzipi announced her decision to vote on the matter."
