Former Likud minister Moshe Kahlon is following in the footsteps of former ministers Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni by choosing to leave democratic elements out of the charter for his new party Kulanu (All of Us). The charter spells out that Kahlon "will be the party's candidate for prime minister." In addition, it gives Kahlon full power to decide whether the party joins or leaves a coalition, without requiring the approval of anyone else. Kahlon will also appoint the party chair; its legal advisors; its spokesperson; and the members of its election committee. Kahlon also presented a list of the party's 118 founders. The list of names includes former MK Orna Angel, who served as an advisor to former Prime Minister Ehud Barak; Shimshon Lieberman, who headed the struggle to free captive soldier Gilad Schalit; and Or Sussan, the son of veteran Likud activist Shimon Sussan, who is close to Kahlon. Kahlon also shared elements of the party's platform. On the peace process the party seeks to "create a diplomatic-security horizon for Israel through uncompromising action to protect the safety of the citizens of Israel, while aspiring to reach a peace agreement with our neighbors." When Lapid founded his Yesh Atid party he garnered sharp criticism from the public over the party charter, which stipulates that the chairman decides all party matters and that he cannot be voted out. While serving her current term, Livni also established a new party, Hatnuah, and its charter also did away with democratic elements such as holding elections for the chairmanship or setting up any kind of voting entity. Meanwhile, Lapid -- whose intense negotiations with Livni, intended to bring her into Yesh Atid, came to naught -- responded on Thursday to Livni's decision to cast her lot with Labor Chairman Isaac Herzog. At a press conference near his home, Lapid discussed developments in the left-wing bloc and the fact that he was isolated on the political map. "[Wednesday's] unification of Labor and Hatnuah tidied up the Israeli political system," he said. "Now it has clear lines: On the Left, Labor and Meretz; on the Right, the Likud and [Habayit Hayehudi chairman Naftali] Bennett, who are becoming more and more extreme Right; and there's the Center." According to Lapid, "The upcoming elections won't be between the Right and the Left. The upcoming elections will be between the Right and Center. Most of the people of Israel are in the Center. The Center is where the possibility for real change to the Israeli economy, society, and policy lies." Current assessments say the decision by Herzog and Livni to join forces was taken primarily to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of power, but caused collateral damage to parties that do not strongly identify with the Right or the Left, such as Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, and Kahlon's new Kulanu party. In light of this, Thursday heard predictions that Kahlon, Lapid, and Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman would work together to unite their three parties in response to the Livni-Herzog gambit. Former Welfare Minister Meir Cohen (Yesh Atid) said, "Yesh Atid unifying with Lieberman and Kahlon would be good for Israel." Speaking at a conference of the Association of Local Authority Spokespeople held in Jerusalem, Cohen said that Lapid and Livni had been in contact about joining their party lists but that the move hadn't happened because of Livni's call for a rotating premiership. However, Lapid, Kahlon, and Lieberman have all denied the rumors that they intend to combine their parties. Lapid also announced a revised diplomatic plan ahead of the elections. "All roads lead to the same solution: Israelis and Palestinians must separate," he said at the conference. "We aren't talking about peace -- certainly not in the first few years -- but about a strong agreement that will lead to a clear separation between the two peoples who can't live together in the same country," Lapid said. Shlomo Cesana, Hezi Sternlicht, Yori Yalon, and Edna Adato contributed to this report.
