Ex-finance minister cites Kadima's failures in war, attack on legal system, says Likud not extreme party.
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN, JPOST.COM STAFFdan meridor 224.88(photo credit: Knesset Web site)
Former finance minister Dan Meridor announced Sunday morning that he was joining the wave of ex-Likud MKs who have decided to come back to politics and run for the next Knesset with the party.
"After five years of a comfortable life out of politics, I have seen what has happened in those five years," he said at a press conference at Likud's Tel Aviv headquarters. "The Kadima government has made two failures that both necessitate a government's dismissal."
Meridor said that one such failure was the "attack on the legal system," and the Second Lebanon War was another.
Referring to the prospect of peace with the Palestinians, Meridor said, "Likud is not an extreme party...it is the first that made peace."
Meridor praised Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu, singling out his achievements as finance minister. "Leadership is assessed in the ability to act, even when it is contrary to short-term political interests," he said. "That is what Netanyahu did as finance minister and that is why we look as we do, when the entire world is going through a stormy [economic] period."
Meridor quit Netanyahu's cabinet in June 1997 over a dispute with him, and later left the Likud to form the now defunct Center Party.
Netanyahu said he was happy to have Meridor back, adding that "we are bringing in an experienced leadership so that we can overcome the great challenges we face in security, peace and the economy."
"He understands this place well, he is rich is experience and one of the most talented people this country has," continued the Likud leader. "He is broad-minded, uncorrupted and independent thinking. For two years, we have been discussing security strategies for the country, including the most sensitive of issues, and also strategies for peace."
Speaking to Israel Radio shortly after the press conference, Meridor claimed Likud supported the continuation of peace negotiations, including with the Syrians.
"We aren't a party that will shirk diplomatic processes…the status quo isn't a solution," he said.
Meridor said he supported negotiations with Damascus, even over the Golan, in order to "break up the Syria-Iran-Hizbullah axis in the North," and that "if this can be done through diplomacy it's the correct thing to do."
"We need to look at the challenges we face. The main developing threat is Iran and what it is trying to achieve in the region. We need to fight against this in a determined manner," he stressed.
Meridor claimed that even Netanyahu held discussions over the Golan, although no decisions were made on conditions or borders.
Regarding negotiations over Jerusalem, Meridor said that the Likud does not want a situation in which Jerusalem turns into "another country" and in which the Old City is no longer party of Israel's capital.
Meanwhile, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni expressed criticism of the wave of "celebrities" joining Likud in recent days, saying they do not share a common ideology.
"It's hard to find common ground between the figures that have joined Likud," Livni told Army Radio. "This is not a game of player acquisitions, akin to pre-season basketball transfers."
In response, Likud said in a statement: "The common ground between the party's supporters is the desire to achieve peace. Contrary to Livni's approach - the approach of [former Meretz chairman] Yossi Beilin - this must be done without endangering Israeli citizens."
Meridor will join former science minister Bennie Begin, who announced his run last Tuesday, and former MK and cosmetics queen Pnina Rosenblum, who held her own press conference on Sunday afternoon.
"My opinions regarding the security of Israel will have to be heard," Rosenblum said during her press conference. "I am all for the principle of mutuality - there is no such thing as unilateral, there is no 'you get everything and I won't' - and there is no such thing as a peace process when there is terror."
Rosenblum also spoke about Kadima leader Tzipi Livni's chances to become prime minister: "I am very happy there's a woman who made it to where she has but still, I think in a hard time for Israel's security and economy such as this, it is important that the leader will be someone with experience. I think maybe in the future we will have a woman as prime minister but it will take some more time."
Many other former Likud lawmakers have already decided to run, but Uzi Landau's associates said he had not yet made up his mind about whether to return.
Meridor served as justice minister in two Likud-led governments and as minister-without-portfolio in Ehud Barak's government. He helped draft Kadima's platform, but his longtime confidant Prime Minister Ehud Olmert chose not to appoint him as a minister, despite reported promises to the contrary.
Meridor later returned to the Likud but remained outside of politics.
Likud officials said Meridor had not been promised a reserved slot on the party's Knesset candidates list. Party officials had said last week, however, that both Netanyahu and Meridor were interested in a reserved slot in order for Meridor to avoid the embarrassment that would be caused if the highly respected Likud dove was not elected. But when Begin insisted on joining without a reserved slot, it became clear that Meridor could not ask for one.
The return of Meridor will make the top echelons of the Likud even more crowded. Likud legislators have complained in private conversations that the return of former colleagues would prevent them from receiving the cabinet posts they were expecting. They said it was not fair that after years of languishing in the opposition, they would not be rewarded by becoming ministers.
But no MK was willing to publicly complain about the return of Meridor and Begin or of the new faces joining Likud such as former IDF deputy chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, former Israel Police inspector-general Assaf Hefetz, and perhaps former IDF chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya'alon, who is expected to decide whether to enter politics within a week.
"I am glad that Dan Meridor is coming back and I am glad that it is being done democratically," said MK Yisrael Katz, who heads the party's governing secretariat. "I was against reserving any slots for anyone. Everyone who joins is welcome and strengthens the party."
A Kadima spokesman said in response that in addition to Nachman Shai, who joined the party last week, security officials, business community leaders and other well-known figures would join Kadima soon.
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