BICOM

According to Kadima sources cited across the Israeli media, Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz may announce his party’s withdrawal from the coalition today, barring any progress being made in talks over a new IDF draft law.

Official party sources have not commented on the issue and Mofaz has refused to indicate whether the party is leaving the current coalition. “We are still facing prolonged negotiations,” he said. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed optimism about the two parties’ ability to work out a joint bill. However, Kadima sources speaking to Haaretz have since said, “No progress has been made. We submitted various proposals, but have received no satisfactory answers. The ball is in Netanyahu’s court.”

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday that his party has been permitted to vote for its own draft law, although the cabinet decided to oppose it. The proposal will be put to the Knesset vote later this week, but as the bill will almost certainly be rejected, Knesset Speaker MK Reuven Rivlin has said he will extend the Knesset session to the beginning of August, or even further until an alternative to the Tal Law is found.

“This issue requires a decision and the Knesset can’t cut its debates short only because of the recess,” Rivlin told the Knesset’s plenum yesterday. “If the cabinet submits a proposal next week, the last week of the session, I will ask the House Committee to approve extending it to complete the discussions,” he said. If his request is denied, Rivlin said he would continue the Knesset’s last meeting into the recess until the discussions are completed and the bill is passed.

Meanwhile, Kadima members have been holding talks on what happens after their party leaves the coalition. According to a Haaretz report based on Kadima sources, if Mofaz quits the government, seven hawkish MKs are expected to join Likud. There is also talk that a group of MKs who support Tzipi Livni will split Kadima and serve as part of a new centre party in the Knesset. “If the rightist MKs quit the party, Mofaz will remain with a faction in which most MKs do not see him as their leader,” a Kadima MK told Haaretz yesterday.