Is Halutz a Kadima Liability?

When former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon created the Kadima party, he sought to form a middle ground between the left-leaning Labor movement and the right wing Likud of which he had previously been a part. Sharon — who has been described as a murderer due to his role commanding Israeli troops during the early 1980s when Lebanese forces slaughtered Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps and the IDF did not act — was praised by the left when he ordered the removal of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip.

The Kadima party flourished, with President Shimon Peres joining the party and subsequent Prime Minister Ehud Olmert leading the party. Even though Kadima was not offered the first opportunity to form a coalition after the most recent elections, Kadima still garnered the most Knesset seats, with its leader Tzipi Livni now reportedly considering joining the government.

With the right-leaning inclination of Israelis, the right-wing parties (such as Avigdor Leiberman’s Yisrael Beitenu) are expected to gain seats in a future election. With this shift, Kadima could either gain clout as voters continue to abandon Labor and the left, or Kadima could be overlooked entirely, with Israelis voting for the true right-wing parties like Likud and Yisrael Beitenu.

While it’s unclear how voters will act in any future election, former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz is betting on Kadima, joining the party today and making a bid to become one of the top politicians in the party.

Generally, the endorsement of the IDF chief of staff would propel a party in the polls. In fact, outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who is wildly popular, could enter the political fray, potentially bringing substantial clout to whatever party he joins.

However, Halutz led IDF forces during the decisively unpopular Second Lebanon War, with the operation criticized for having limited success and far too many military casualties. Therefore, Halutz could be more of a liability to the party and actual further complicate Kadima’s efforts to usurp Likud and grab the reins of government once more. As Ynet reports:

But not all Kadima officials are pleased. A senior party member noted in the past that Halutz “is not completely clean. People still remember the Second Lebanon War, as well as the Winograd Report. Restoring his public reputation in Kadima may damage Kadima in the long run.

Halutz is not the only politician who, while welcomed in a party, could torpedo that party’s chances in upcoming elections. For further potential examples, see Sarah Palin.