- Hebrew:
- âForwardâ
- Date:
- November 2005 - present
- Related People:
- Ariel Sharon
- Tzipi Livni
- Ehud Olmert
Kadima
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What was Kadima?
Kadima was a centrist Israeli political party established in November 2005 by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, after he left the Likud party. Kadima advocated for dialogue with the Palestinians and supported a two-state solution. Following Sharon's stroke in January 2006, Ehud Olmert took over as acting prime minister and party leader. In the March 2006 elections, Kadima secured 29 Knesset seats and formed a coalition government. Tzipi Livni later became the party leader in September 2008, but she was unable to form a coalition. Kadima eventually became defunct after failing to win any seats in the 2015 elections.
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In which country was Kadima a political party?
Kadima was an Israeli centrist political party formed in 2005 by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after he left the Likud party. Kadima advocated for dialogue with the Palestinians and supported a two-state solution. In the 2006 elections, Kadima secured 29 Knesset seats, and Ehud Olmert became prime minister. Later, Tzipi Livni led Kadima but was unable to form a governing coalition. In 2012, Shaul Mofaz replaced Livni as leader, but the party dwindled, winning only two seats in 2013 and none in 2015, after which it became defunct.
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Who founded the Kadima political party?
The Kadima party was founded in November 2005 by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after he left the Likud party. Sharon wanted to create a centrist alternative to Likud and the Israel Labour Party because of opposition to his policy of unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and certain West Bank settlements. Several prominent members of Likud and a few from Labour joined Kadima.
Kadima's ideology was centrist, supporting dialogue with the Palestinians, a two-state solution, and territorial concession to maintain a Jewish majority in Israel.
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What were Kadima's main political goals or beliefs?
Kadima, a centrist Israeli political party created in 2005 by Ariel Sharon, supports dialogue with the Palestinians and a two-state solution. Kadima also advocated territorial concession to maintain a Jewish majority in Israel.
After Sharon had a stroke in 2006, Ehud Olmert took over as party leader. Olmert promised to continue Sharonâs policies of disengagement from Israeli-occupied areas and setting permanent borders between Israel and the Palestinians by 2010. Tzipi Livni led the most fruitful round of peace negotiations with the Palestinians in nearly a decade and became the face of the peace process in Israeli politics.
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When was Kadima most influential in Israeli politics?
Kadima, a centrist Israeli political party founded by Ariel Sharon in 2005, became most influential after Sharon's departure from Likud. This move followed internal opposition to his policy of unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. Kadima aimed to offer a centrist alternative to both the right-wing Likud and the social-democratic Israel Labour Party, advocating for dialogue with the Palestinians and a two-state solution.
Kadima secured 29 Knesset seats in the March 2006 general election, becoming the dominant party. After Sharon's stroke in January 2006, Ehud Olmert took over as acting prime minister and party leader. Although Kadima won 28 seats in the 2009 elections, one more than Likud, the close results meant that Benjamin Netanyahu ultimately formed the government.
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Why did Kadima lose its influence and what happened to the party?
Kadima, an Israeli centrist party, lost influence due to several factors. Founded in 2005 by Ariel Sharon, it initially aimed to offer a centrist alternative to Likud and the Labour Party. After Sharon's stroke in 2006, Ehud Olmert took over, but faced corruption allegations, leading to his resignation in 2008.
Tzipi Livni then led Kadima, but failed to form a coalition government. Although Kadima won one more seat than Likud in the 2009 elections, Benjamin Netanyahu was asked to form the government. In 2012, Livni lost the leadership to Shaul Mofaz, and she later ran under a new party in the 2013 elections, drawing votes away from Kadima, which secured only two seats. The party became defunct after failing to win any seats in the 2015 elections.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Kadima, centrist Israeli political party formed in November 2005 by Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon following his split from the Likud party. When his policy of unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and certain West Bank settlements encountered opposition from within Likud, Sharon decided to form a centre-oriented alternative to both the right-wing Likud and the social-democratic Israel Labour Party. A number of prominent members of Likud (e.g., Ehud Olmert, a former mayor of Jerusalem, and Tzipi Livni, Israelâs minister of justice) and a smaller number from Labour (e.g., former prime minister Shimon Peres) left their parties to join Kadima.
Kadima was founded on the basis of a centrist ideology. It supports dialogue with the Palestinians, a two-state solution, and a policy of territorial concession to retain a Jewish majority in Israel.
After Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke in January 2006, Olmert became acting prime minister and assumed leadership of the party. In the March 2006 general election, the first in which Kadima participated, the party secured 29 Knesset seats. After forming a coalition that included Labour-Meimad (a partnership between Labour and Meimad, a moderate religious group; 19 seats), Pensionersâ Party (7 seats), and Shas (12 seats), Olmert was confirmed as prime minister in May. He promised to continue Sharonâs policies of disengagement from Israeli-occupied areas and of setting permanent borders between Israel and the Palestinians by 2010. As time passed, Olmert faced multiple allegations of corruption, and calls for his resignation mounted. In July 2008 he announced that he would step down following party elections scheduled for later that year.
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In September 2008 Livni (since March 2006 Israelâs minister of foreign affairs) was elected to lead Kadima, and Olmert formally resigned. Livni was unable to piece together a governing coalition, however, so Olmert remained acting prime minister, and general elections were called for February 2009. Although Kadima won 28 seats (one more than Likud), because of the close and inconclusive nature of the results, it was not immediately clear whether Livni or Benjamin Netanyahuâthe head of Likud since Sharonâs departure from that party in 2005âwould be invited to form a coalition government. Through the course of coalition discussions in the days that followed, Netanyahu gathered the support of Yisrael Beiteinu (15 seats), Shas (11 seats), and a number of smaller parties, and he was asked by Israelâs president to form the government. In March 2012 Livni lost Kadimaâs leadership election and was replaced by Shaul Mofaz, a retired general and former Likud minister of defense. Livni ran under a new party in the 2013 elections, drawing votes away from Kadima, which received only two seats. The party did not win any seats in the 2015 elections and became defunct thereafter.