Gamble puts Kadima leader Tzipi Livni ahead in polls for first time

The Times ^ | 10/28/2008 | James Hider in Jerusalem

[bruinbirdman]

A day after she triggered fresh elections early next year, Tzipi Livni, Israel's centrist prime minister designate, took a lead in opinion polls for the first time.

Ms Livni, who was elected leader of the governing Kadima party last month after Ehud Olmert resigned as Prime Minister to fight corruption charges, had trailed Binyamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party for months. Her improved poll ratings appeared to be due to her gamble to abandon efforts to hang on to Mr Olmert's coalition, many of whose members she accused of “blackmailing” her for their own political gains.

The elections, due in a little over three months, are shaping up to be a contest between the moderates who want to negotiate the establishment of a Palestinian state, and who are prepared to relinquish control of parts of Jerusalem, and right-wingers who say that Israel's security would be compromised by giving up control of the West Bank to the Palestinians.

President Peres, formally announcing that the Knesset, or parliament, had to be dissolved, said that Israel was entering “a decisive electoral period”.

A poll published yesterday showed that Ms Livni's party had gained an edge over Likud. It emerged that if elections were held now, Kadima would win 29 of the Knesset's 120 seats, while Mr Netanyahu's party would secure 26.

Labour, which is Kadima's main coalition partner, would slip behind Likud and win just 11 seats.

The boost in Kadima's ratings may signal new-found confidence in Ms Livni, a 50-year-old former Mossad agent and lawyer who only entered parliament a decade ago. She has led the team negotiating with the Palestinians, and has won support for her clean-cut image after the constant stream of corruption allegations that sank her predecessor.

Rallying her party yesterday, Ms Livni, who was only elected party leader by

[beagleone]

Typical Israeli politics. Why the electorate is rewarding Livni with being unable to make a coalition is beyond me. Hope Bibi wins.

[kahana]

don’t worry, the only thing this poll reflects is the low opinion voters have on shas which is trying to rob the treasury to secure more welfare.

once the likud starts with a negetive election campaign which will remind israelis the outcome of the second lebanon war and livni’s role in it’s mismanagement kadima will crash and netanyahu will take this elections - easily.