Can Kadima Cajole?

"Israel's Leading Parties Sign a Draft Agreement to Form a New Party"
A14, Tuesday 10/14/08
By Ethan Bronner

The article factually details the signing of a draft coalition agreement the previous day between Tzipi Livni's Kadima Party and Ehud Barak's Labor Party. Livni is attempting to form a new government following the resignation of Ehud Olmert due to corruption allegations.

As part of the agreement, Barak is to be granted "official status as the cabinet's second in command," entitled Senior Deputy Prime Minister. According to one of his associates: “No issue will be decided in the cabinet without the coordination and agreement of Barak.. It amounts to almost, but not quite, a veto power.”

If Barak will possess such great power in Livni's Kadima-led government, it begs the question: what are the substantive policy differences that separate Labor and Kadima? With Kadima holding less of a clear outlook vis-a-vis the Palestinians, these two parties are looking more and more similar in their foreign policy perspective, which counts on the Palestinian Authority as a viable negotiating partner in the West Bank. To what degree, if any, elements of unilateral disengagement will be implemented in these disputed territories is yet to be seen.

The more pressing issue at hand is whether Livni will succeed in forming a new coalition. While wooing Labor was a significant step in this process, inroads still have to be made with lesser Israeli political parties, mainly the Sephardic Orthodox party Shas.

If Livni fails to create this coalition, Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu, the current favorite if general elections were to be held in the near future, would readily take advantage of the situation.