Via the BBC comes this story that I meant to post several days ago: Sharon finally decides party name

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has finally decided on a name for his new party, after rejecting National Responsibility and Hatikva (Hope) as possible titles.

The breakaway centrist party has been registered under the name Kadima, the Hebrew word for “forward”.

A good choice, given the goal of the party to position itself as the party of progress and change n the context of the peace processs.

And the party-building appears to be going well:

At least 14 MPs from his former party, Likud, have joined the new faction.

Cabinet minister Haim Ramon – formerly of Labour – became the first senior member of the centre-left party to join forces with Mr Sharon.

And meanwhile, back at Likud, finger-pointing and self-destruction appear to be all the rage:

Correspondents say the Likud candidates have turned on one another in the media after Mr Sharon’s departure from the party.

Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom has accused Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz and former PM and leadership favourite Binyamin Netanyahu of “tearing Likud to shreds” with their campaigns.

There’s more on the internal rift in Likud in the article.