Likud: Kadima ‘has reached the end of the road’; Labor praises Mofaz

The Likud early Wednesday presented Shaul Mofaz’s dramatic victory in the bitter Kadima leadership race as evidence that the party was falling apart.

Kadima “has reached the end of the road,” the Likud said in a statement, asserting that its leaders were merely competing for its disintegrating fragments. Many of Kadima’s leaders — including both Mofaz and Livni — joined the party from the Likud,

Labor party chief Shelly Yachimovich, by contrast, praised Mofaz on his success. “Mofaz has contributed a lot to this country,” said Yachimovich shortly after the final results in Tuesday’s contest had been released. She added that Kadima under Livni’s leadership had never been a viable alternative to the current government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Zahava Gal-On, head of the leftist Meretz party, also congratulated Mofaz on his landslide victory, but she stated that the election of the former chief of staff and defense minister, a long-time security hardliner, makes Kadima clearly a center-right party.

MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) slammed Livni for what he said were her attacks on ultra-Orthodox Jews over the past two years. “Today’s result,” said Gafni, “was Kadima voters saying no to attacks on Haredis.”

Former Prime minister Ehud Olmert called to congratulate Mofaz on his victory, according to Ynet News, and the two discussed the necessity to keep Kadima united going forward. The former Kadima party head told the newly elected Mofaz that he would help in any way possible in keeping the party strong as an alternative to the current government.

According to the final tally, Mofaz received 61.7 percent of the vote to Livni’s 37.2 percent.