Dichter might run for Kadima leadership

Kadima minister "trusts" police in PM's case; says if conditions relevant, he'll run in party primaries.

avi dichter 224.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
avi dichter 224.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Public Security Minister Avi Dichter will run for the Kadima party leadership if "this becomes a realistic situation," Dichter told Israel Radio, Saturday. In the case of a Kadima primary race, Dichter is expected to run against Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, but other possible contenders might be Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz and Meir Sheetrit. Referring to the current flurry of investigations against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, one of which is expected to continue early next week, Dichter said he had faith in the police, the prosecution and the attorney general. In other news, Dichter also said Israel had failed in deterring Hamas and cited statistics showing that the terror group fired as many rockets in the few months since the beginning of the year as they have had during all of 2007. Nevertheless, a ceasefire with Hamas, currently negotiated via Egyptian mediators, was possible, the minister said.