[Hebrew for "Forward."] An
Israeli political party started in 2005 by
Ariel Sharon, who broke from the right-wing Likud party, and was joined by its more centrist members, soon thereafter to be joined by centrist members of the Labor party as well, chiefly in order to support Sharon's
Gaza Disengagement plan. The party believes that, while the Israeli nation has the right to all the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, it must pragmatically concede some territory to Palestinians in order to maintain
Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. When Sharon suffered an incapacitating stroke shortly after the party's founding,
Ehud Olmert took over as head of Kadima. Though commanding a large number of seats in the
Knesset during the first few elections after its founding, Kadima won only two seats in the 2013 elections. The party did not run in the 2015 elections. See "
Adviser reveals PM planned split months ago," Ronny Sofer, Ynet, Nov 24, 2005.