Kadima chair quits

The head of the Kadima Party’s Knesset faction and chairman of Israel’s governing coalition quit after Ehud Olmert refused to step down.Avigdor Yitzhaki said at a party meeting Wednesday that he would quit if the Israeli prime minister would not resign. Yitzhaki had been pressing Olmert to step down since the Winograd Commission report highly critical of Olmert’s leadership during the Lebanon war was issued Monday. Olmert refused to quit, however. Kadima lawmaker Tzachi Hanegbi is expected to temporarily fill Yitzhaki’s post.