and then run to take the prime ministership away from Binyamin Netanyahu.
Mofaz ran for the leadership of the Kadima party in 2008, when he lost very narrowly to Tzipi Livni.
Netanyahu last week called a party leadership election to be held next month for his Likud party. Mofaz this week called for Kadima’s own leadership election to be moved up as well so the party will be ready if a snap national election is called.
“I will lead Kadima to victory in the next elections—and as prime minister, I will bring a deep change in priorities in the State of Israel,” Mofaz said.
Mofaz, 63, was born in Iran and came to Israel as a nine-year-old. After high school, he volunteered for the paratroopers and served during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
He then began climbing through ever-higher positions in the Army, eventually becoming the first chief of staff who was not of European background. After retiring from the military, he became defense minister in 2002 under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
His party has been the main opposition in recent years, but Mofaz himself is now the chairman of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.