Background Israeli legislative election, 2006

1 background

1.1 2003 election , later developments
1.2 fall of likud-led government
1.3 likud split , formation of kadima
1.4 party leadership , list selections

background
2003 election , later developments

in 2003 elections, likud, under leadership of prime minister ariel sharon, had convincing win israeli standards, winning 38 seats in 120-member knesset (parliament), sharon perceived tough anti-terrorist leader on wings of 2002 operation defensive shield. labor, led amram mitzna under slogans disengagement gaza, won 19 seats , did not join new government.

following 2003 elections likud suffered severe divisions on several positions taken sharon, notably adoption of plan withdraw israeli settlers , troops gaza strip. position taken labor , denounced being defeatist sharon prior 2003 elections, caused tension within likud party , in january 2005 shimon peres led labor coalition sharon allow gaza withdrawal proceed despite opposition majority of likud members.

fall of likud-led government

as of fall of 2005, peres s labor party providing votes necessary likud-led 30th government maintain majority support in knesset. in labor s internal leadership election scheduled november, amir peretz campaigned party leadership on platform included withdrawing labor sharon-led coalition. peretz narrowly defeated peres in leadership election on november 9, 2005, , 2 days later labor ministers resigned cabinet , labor withdrew support government, leaving without majority support in knesset.

negotiations between sharon , peretz set election date 28 march 2006. m letting him [sharon] choose date in period between end of february , end of march , whatever date chooses acceptable me, earlier better, peretz said @ time. sharon said: became clear existing political framework falling apart, came conclusion best thing country hold new elections possible.

likud split , formation of kadima

the impending elections raised prospect of leadership election within likud, former prime minister binyamin netanyahu expected challenge sharon party leadership. in late november, sharon , number of other likud ministers , knesset members announced leaving likud form new, more centrist party, named kadima. formation of kadima turned election three-way race among new party, labor , likud, marking shift israel s tradition of elections dominated 2 major parties.

although kadima formed of former likud members, peres (having lost labor leadership election peretz) announced support new party, , later officially left labor. peres cited sharon s leadership skills reason party switch.

polls taken through end of 2005 showed sharon s kadima party enjoying commanding lead on both labor , likud.

party leadership , list selections

sharon, founder of kadima , incumbent prime minister, universally expected lead new party march 2006 election. however, on 4 january 2006, sharon suffered haemorrhagic stroke, leaving him in coma. on 31 january 2006, kadima submitted list of candidates, sharon excluded list due inability sign necessary documents candidate. ehud olmert had become acting prime minister , acting chairman of kadima when sharon became incapacitated, officially became new party s candidate prime minister. peres placed second on labor s list of candidates. foreign minister tzipi livni placed third on kadima list, understanding senior vice premier if kadima formed next government.

in shinui primaries, tel aviv council member ron levintal defeated avraham poraz number 2 spot. poraz, close ally of party leader yosef lapid, subsequently resigned shinui, did shinui knesset members, forming breakaway party called hetz (ha-miflaga ha-hilonit tzionit or secular zionist party ). lapid resigned party leader on 25 january 2006, , leventhal subsequently elected new party leader. neither shinui nor hetz received sufficient votes win seats in 17th knesset. shinui had won 15 seats in 2003 election , third largest party in 16th knesset.

on 30 january 2006 right-wing national union (halchud haleumi), coalition of 3 small parties (moledet, tkuma, tzionut datit leumit mitchadeshet), submitted joint list national religious party. merged list headed binyamin elon. largely russian immigrant israel beytenu (israel our home) party has separated national union , running separate list.

this separation occurred following polls predicted that, when running separately, these 2 major rightist blocs receive between 20 25 seats (in previous elections, had received 7), , turned out true: national union bloc received 9 seats , israel beytenu received 11.

likud selected netanyahu leader, on then-defense minister silvan shalom. @ netanyahu s insistence, shalom , other remaining likud ministers resigned olmert-led government in january 2006.

polls conducted january through march showed kadima still enjoying substantial lead, though reduced polls taken under sharon s leadership.