Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert now heads a flourishing consulting firm based in a chic building in downtown Tel Aviv. Former Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon heads a think tank at Netanya College, which focuses on the cost of living. They are both preparing to return to political leadership positions in the next election cycle.
While Olmert and Kahlon are friends, they are not coordinating their moves. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that as the next elections approach, they will combine forces and establish a new center party, particularly if Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party keeps heading in the same direction it has been going over the past few weeks and heads for a catastrophic crash. An Olmert-Kahlon party could win the votes of Israel’s political center. Olmert will carry the diplomatic banner in the spirit of a two-state solution, while Kahlon — the “father of cellphone reform” — responsible for a significant reduction in rates, will advocate for social issues.
