ISRAEL: Labour Leader Amir Peretz takes over as Israeli Defence Minister at ceremony in Tel Aviv

Record ID: 398266

  • Title: ISRAEL: Labour Leader Amir Peretz takes over as Israeli Defence Minister at ceremony in Tel Aviv
  • Date: 8th May 2006
  • Summary: MORE OF MEETING
  • Embargoed: 23rd May 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9LV8FCAP6LVOX7I9OOHR84ZQ7
  • Story Text: Israeli politicians and military officials gathered in Tel Aviv to take part in a handover ceremony of the Defence Ministry on Sunday (May 7).
    The outgoing Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz who will assume power on the Transportation Ministry congratulated Labour leader and new minister Amir Peretz.
    The ministers, along with senior army commanders, including Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, observed a military march and shook hands of defence ministry officials.
    On Sunday, the new government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert conducted ceremonies to handover power from old ministers to newly-elected ones.
    Mofaz took power of the Defence office under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2002, after four-year service as Israel's chief of the army. He served as Sharon's Defence Minister during Israel's withdrawal from Gaza Strip in August 2005 and was responsible for the evacuation of 9,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza and a remote northern part of the West Bank.
    Labour leader Amir Peretz, a former trade union chief who lacks military experience, raised a debate among the Israeli media and public whether or not a civilian is qualified of running the Israeli Defence Ministry.
    Peretz made his way to top by ousting Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres as Israel's Labour Party and wining 19 parliament seats in March general elections.
    The ceremony took place only a few hours after Israeli police stormed a Palestinian house in the West Bank city of Hebron on Sunday to evict Jewish settlers accused of squatting there.
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