BICOM

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni is under increasing pressure from within Kadima to hold early leadership elections in the party. The calls for early primaries are related to a steady decline in public support for Kadima, as evidenced by a series of opinion polls. The most recent polls by the Smith Institute and Sarid Institute have found that if general elections were held tomorrow, Kadima would lose its position as the main opposition party, coming in third behind Likud and Labour.

The decline in Kadima’s support, in the view of many party activists, is related to its failure to capitalise on the social protests in Israel over the summer – in contrast to Labour. Livni has also been criticised for her belated expression of opposition to the deal that saw the freeing of Gilad Shalit.

A number of Kadima MKs are planning to raise the issue of early primaries at the party’s caucus meeting on Monday. A General election in Israel is not expected until 2013.