As the dust surrounding Operation Pillar of Defense settles, weeks of speculation and delays are about to come to an end as former Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni is expected to announce her return to the political arena next week and her plan to take part in the upcoming Knesset elections. The recent week-long Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza was said to be the catalyst for Livni's comeback as she intends to court those voters who are dissatisfied with the current government's decision to end the last round of fighting with Hamas without ordering a ground incursion into Gaza. Political analysts say that there is currently not a single political figure with the diplomatic and defense experience required to pose as an alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Livni's associates say that this is the void that she will try to fill. If Livni does announce her return, which associates say will most likely occur early next week, she may choose to head the Hetz (Arrow) party, which was initially created by former Interior Minister Avraham Poraz. Several Kadima MKs have expressed their interest in joining a party under her leadership, including Shlomo Molla, Yoel Hasson and others. Former Kadima MK and Cabinet Minister Haim Ramon is said to be active in helping Livni to establish the party. Although attempts have been made to bring aboard figures such as Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg, protest encampment leader Boaz Nol, Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Ben-Israel and others, final agreements have not yet been forged with them. Livni has also refrained from securing seats on her potential Knesset list for any Kadima MK. Livni has apparently made her decision to return to politics despite former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert having all but turned down a comeback of his own. Members of Kadima claim that Livni's determination to run in the January elections without Olmert contributed to his decision to abort his own pitch for a return. Polls also indicated that Livni would win more seats than Olmert if they ran on separate tickets. Livni has appeared in televised interviews recently, denouncing government policies especially in security-related areas. In an interview on a Channel 2 talk show Thursday Livni refused to answer questions about her political intentions. A survey conducted by the program indicated she would win nine Knesset seats in the upcoming elections. The same poll had Likud-Beytenu winning 38 seats, Labor 19, Shas 13 and the New National Religious Party winning 9. According to the survey, Yair Lapid's party Yesh Atid ("There is a Future") would win only four seats, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak's Independence party and Meretz, chaired by Zahava Gal-On would also not fair so well, winning only 3 seats each. Kadima, surprisingly, would not obtain even a single seat. Over the past few weeks, Livni has met with various politicians and former politicians, including Olmert and Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich, and has expressed her refusal to become number two on Labor's list of candidates for the Knesset.
