JERUSALEM (JTA) — Four Kadima Party members have quit the party, Kadima chief Shaul Mofaz said.
Mofaz on Monday asked the Knesset House committee to dismiss the party members, who reportedly have pledged their allegiance to the Likud Party. Kadima had been part of the government coalition that included Likud, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, until last week.
"Anyone was wants to join the corrupt go ahead and leave, anyone who wants to join the draft dodgers go ahead and leave, anyone who wants to take political bribes go ahead and leave, anyone who wants to join forces with Netanyahu — leave now," Mofaz said after submitting a letter with his request to the committee.
The four Kadima members are Arieh Bibi, Avi Duan, Otniel Schneller and Yulia Shamolov-Berkovich.
The request means that the former Kadima members cannot run for a Knesset seat with the party in the next elections and no longer will receive party funding.
Several party members led by former minister Tzachi Hanegbi, dubbed the Kadima rebels, had attempted to recruit seven Kadima members to leave the party, which would have engendered an official split, meaning that they could take part of the funds with them.
Meanwhile, some Kadima members are working to depose Mofaz, Haaretz reported Monday.
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