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Last update - 02:37 08/09/2008 So as not to go the way of Kadima By Moshe Arens Tags: Kadima, Likud, Israel Have we seen this before or is this just a bad dream? Before the last Knesset elections, opinion polls consistently indicated a great victory for Kadima, suggesting that a large number of Knesset seats would become available to those interested in the opportunity, even if they had no prior political experience. Ariel Sharon, and after him Ehud Olmert, had their pick of eager candidates waiting in line, and they chose those whom they thought would add luster to the Kadima list of candidates and increase the support Kadima could expect in the elections. The result was a list of names, many with creditable backgrounds in their non-political careers, or else deserters from other parties, but who comprised a Knesset delegation that had almost no common ideological denominator, and therefore represented no coherent policy alternatives to the public. Kadima laid claim to being a center party, believing that that would be sufficient to attract large voter support. Although Kadima received considerably fewer votes than the more optimistic polls had predicted, and some of the new recruits to the Knesset list did not receive the expected reward of a Knesset seat, the party, nonetheless, received enough votes to lead all other parties and thus to head the government coalition. It governed the country for the following two and a half years, making more than its share of serious mistakes, and now it is clear that its position as the leading political party in Israel is going to be short-lived, regardless of who wins the party's primary next week. A party that has no political identity cannot survive for long, and is destined to disappear from the political scene. Advertisement And now the Likud, which despite the defeat it suffered in the last election, stuck by its guns in the political wilderness over the next two years, seems destined to receive its just rewards from the voters in the next election, to judge from the current opinion polls. It may receive double or triple the number of Knesset seats it holds at the present time. What an opportunity for aspiring politicians! So as one might have expected, just as was the case with Kadima some years ago, a long line of potential candidates are now making their way to the office of the Likud's chairman, seeking a chance to fill some of these available vacancies. So far so good. It is a sign that the Likud has gained considerably in popularity, and if some of the newcomers are followers of the basic positions of the Likud, one can only wish them success in their new careers. But if some of the newcomers who end up on the Knesset candidate list turn out to have little ideological common ground with the Likud, and are simply exploiting whatever name recognition they may enjoy, we may see a repeat of the unfortunate Kadima episode, with the Likud turning into an amorphous, incoherent political group, and eventually going the way of Kadima, into political obscurity. The Likud is not a youth movement, and it should not close its doors to those who would like to join. However, it is important that the party's positions on important issues be clearly spelled out to the voting public. One can then rely on the primary election to weed out those candidates whose views are not consistent with the Likud mainstream. Fortunately, the Likud now has a requirement that voters in the primary must have been dues-paying Likud members for at least eighteen months prior to the vote, thus avoiding the last-minute rush of fictitious "new members" that have characterized recent primaries in the Labor Party and in Kadima. So what are the Likud positions on the central issues facing Israel today? The Likud should be emphatic in maintaining the positions it has taken during its time in opposition. The Golan Heights are not up for sale or for rent; Jewish settlements are not to be uprooted, regardless of whatever borders are eventually negotiated in a peace agreement; and the war against terrorism must be pursued without a pause or a cease-fire. Every one of the newcomers should be asked to declare his position on these issues. Should he differ from them, the Likud membership can be trusted not to elect him to represent the party in the Knesset. It is for this reason that no safe seats should be assigned, and that the primaries be the sole mode of selecting the Likud Knesset candidates. The Kadima example should be avoided even if it means leaving some "illustrious" candidates off the Knesset list. This insistence on the Likud presenting the voter with clear coherent policy positions is not only consistent with the principles of honest and fair politics, but it will most likely also pay off at the polls. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'I didn't kill Rose' Rose's mother, grandfather request court delay autopsy of body found in Yarkon River. Israeli requests Israel asks U.S. for arms and permission to use an air corridor to attack Iran.   1.   Golan Must Be Declared Forever Part Of Israel 10:10  |  Baruch Gold 08/09/08   2.   GO AHEAD LIKUD, GO AHEAD ISRAEL 10:22  |  indrajaya 08/09/08   3.   when will the voice of reason prevail... 10:22  |  ClearCut 08/09/08   4.   Golan 10:38  |  Yohan Dahal 08/09/08   5.   When the world leaders get through with Bibi 10:53  |  Nach 08/09/08   6.   We hope Netanyahu listens to you 11:03  |  Rick & TC 08/09/08   7.   Likud loser mentality 11:04  |  Joe Sittizen 08/09/08   8.   Caught in a time warp 11:08  |  Natallie Durson 08/09/08   9.   no reason in the world to give up Golan!! 11:42  |  Dr Eric 08/09/08   10.   There is no chance of the Golan not become part of sovreign 11:51  |  Nahum 08/09/08   11.   #3 clearcut is in afog about the golan its israel by treaty 11:58  |  vhardman 08/09/08   12.   we want the golan but kadima cant be compared to other parties 12:25  |  zionist forever 08/09/08   13.   M. Arens` "bad dream": delirium of Settler Enterprise over PEACE 13:38  |  Ivar 08/09/08   14.   He/she who says "Golan is Syrian, period" has it very wrong!!! 13:45  |  Albert 08/09/08   15.   # 10 nahum 13:56  |  Axel 08/09/08   16.   #2 Indy....so, Indonesia will attack Israel? 13:58  |  Lynn 08/09/08   17.   Arens out of touch with reality 14:02  |  Axel 08/09/08   18.   # 14, LYNN 14:41  |  indrajaya 08/09/08   19.   # 14 albert 15:13  |  Axel 08/09/08   20.   #13 copy of saudi plan found in ancient egyptian tomb 15:31  |  vhardman 08/09/08   21.   UNSC Resolution 242 which Syria has rejected 16:00  |  Avihu 08/09/08   22.   Rabin was no visionary on the Golan 16:04  |  Ilan 08/09/08   23.   Dr. Eric`s, #9, true raison d`etre: massive US Zionist support! 16:07  |  Ivar 08/09/08   24.   LONG LIVE THE LIKUD! 17:32  |  HERTZEL 08/09/08   25.   NO.1... DREAMER GOLD 17:37  |  ravi 08/09/08   26.   It would be nice to add that getting rid of the... 18:41  |  misha 08/09/08   27.   then prepare for a century of wars 18:43  |  antoine 08/09/08   28.   #2 Indonesian Hypocrisy 19:20  |  Free West Papua! 08/09/08   29.   Of particular interest is the following: 19:37  |  Avihu 08/09/08   30.   Moshe Don`t Worry 19:37  |  Yosemite 08/09/08   31.   Arens is right 19:42  |  Brod 08/09/08   32.   # 20 misha 19:54  |  Axel 08/09/08   33.   Likud 20:15  |  Lauren Helfand 08/09/08   34.   Baruch Gold wants eternal conflict with Syria # 1 20:33  |  Clickfool 08/09/08   35.   For Nahum # 10 20:38  |  Clickfool 08/09/08   36.   #14 Albert 21:02  |  xfiles 08/09/08   37.   # 19 Axel....what do you think 21:42  |  Lynn 08/09/08   38.   Leftists don`t belong in Likud. 22:02  |  Chaim 08/09/08   39.   We had far more peace BEFORE we started ceding our land. 22:07  |  Chaim 08/09/08   40.   Clickfool - trying again 22:08  |  Yamamoto 08/09/08   41.   Moshe 22:17  |  Dudka 08/09/08   42.   Golan 22:22  |  Dudka 08/09/08   43.   Clickfool 22:27  |  Yamamoto 08/09/08   44.   For Yamamoto # 43 22:52  |  Clickfool 08/09/08   45.   The Golan has been historically Jewish..... 23:02  |  Dagma 08/09/08   46.   Moshe Arens banking that Israelis` memories are short-lived... 23:03  |  Smadar 08/09/08   47.   # 37 lynn 23:09  |  Axel 08/09/08   48.   clearcut #2 00:37  |  citizen zero 09/09/08   49.   Arens on the Golan 00:40  |  David 09/09/08   50.   Whose Golan it is? 00:57  |  Nezam el Jenini 09/09/08   51.   # 49 david 01:01  |  Axel 09/09/08   52.   Was it yours? 01:11  |  Thundercloud65 09/09/08   53.   Lynn why bother??? 01:23  |  E.A. 09/09/08   54.   #46 Smadar. Elections are nasty things,, aren`t they? 02:18  |  Chaim 09/09/08   55.   #49 Yeah, sure, sure, David 02:26  |  Johnboy 09/09/08   56.   Holding Golan Insures Peace, Giving it to Syria Insures War 02:33  |  Baruch Gold 09/09/08   57.   Stand on the Golan and Look Down Beyond Your Sandels 04:53  |  Steve 09/09/08   58.   No opportunists in the bags! 05:19  |  Akram Zekaria 09/09/08   59.   #54 Chaim The pendalem has temporarily swung, but we`ll see 05:46  |  Smadar 09/09/08   60.   #44 Clickfool 06:08  |  Dish It Out 09/09/08   61.   The Golan belongs to Israel now and in the future 06:30  |  Y Sari-Levi 09/09/08   62.   Chaim is right 06:48  |  Steve 09/09/08   63.   Axel # 51 - Come what may...... 07:26  |  Dagma 09/09/08   64.   indrajaya, as an intellectual read our New Testament and 09:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 09/09/08   65.   Likud stands for permanent war with Arabs and Muslims 15:02  |  newageblues 09/09/08   66.   #63 dagma 14:05  |  Axel 10/09/08   67.   #59 Smadar. Your "peace seeking" brings only disaster. 02:13  |  Chaim 11/09/08   68.   Other political parties besides 21:29  |  Robert Haymond 11/09/08

Read & React Israel asks U.S. for arms, air corridor to attack Iran Responses: 342 Court delays autopsy of body found in Yarkon River Responses: 18 Nasrallah: No peace in Middle East as long as Israel exists Responses: 137 Rights group: West Bank settlers grab more Palestinian land Responses: 69 Tom Segev: Seven years after 9/11, American dream shows signs of renewal Responses: 51 More Headlines 00:09 Olmert: Talks on future of Jerusalem haven't begun 00:49 Court delays autopsy of body found in Yarkon River 22:19 TIMELINE: The disappearance of Rose Pizem 19:31 Nasrallah: No peace in Middle East as long as Israel exists 20:16 N.Y. football teams may sell naming rights to company with Nazi ties 23:10 McCain, Obama campaigns call political ceasefire for 9/11 22:34 VIDEO: IAF grounds Cobras after crash kills two pilots 17:20 Right-wing activists attack, set dog on IDF soldiers in W. Bank 20:44 Explosives detonated near IDF patrol on border with Gaza Strip 16:10 Netanya man suspected of raping disabled patients, giving them AIDS 11:31 Libya's Gaddafi to pay historic visit to London in December Previous Editions Select Day 11 sep 10 sep 09 sep 08 sep 07 sep 05 sep 04 sep 03 sep 02 sep 01 sep 31 aug 29 aug

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