ISRAEL: TRADE MINISTER SHARON'S RESIGNATION THROWS LIKUD PARTY CONGRESS INTO UPROAR OVER PEACE POLICY DIFFERENCES

Record ID: 864019

  • Title: ISRAEL: TRADE MINISTER SHARON'S RESIGNATION THROWS LIKUD PARTY CONGRESS INTO UPROAR OVER PEACE POLICY DIFFERENCES
  • Date: 13th February 1990
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (FEBRUARY 12, 1990) SVS AND GV PAN SHARON SPEAKING (HEBREW SOT) AS AUDIENCE RESPONDS (3 SHOTS) 0.18 GV AND SCU SHAMIR AT PODIUM AND SPEAKING (HEBREW SOT) (2 SHOTS) 0.37 SV PULLBACK TO GV SHARON INTERVENING AND AUDIENCE IN UPROAR 1.05 SV PAN SHAMIR LEAVES PLATFORM IN CONTINUING UPROAR 1.18 SV SHAMIR LEAVING HALL SURROUNDED BY AIDES 1.25
  • Embargoed: 28th February 1990 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel, Israel
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEK9FHXDMZQY3A92ZFI7V886WY
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

    A crucial meeting of Israel's dominant Likud party ended in chaos on Monday (February 12) with both Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and hardline Trade Minister Ariel Sharon claiming victory after a heated exchange about Middle East peace policy.

    Shamir was obviously caught off guard when his rival Sharon opened the crucial meeting of the party's central committee by announcing his resignation from the government in protest at Prime Minister Shamir's policy of negotiating with Palestinians. Sharon said the policy had led to the sacrifice of Jewish lives.

    Sharon said he would remain party chairman and a member of Parliament but could not continue in the government so long as it pursued its current peace policy.

    Prime Minister Shamir responded by accepting many rightwing demands but not those sought by Sharon.

    About two-thirds of the audience appeared to be raising their hands in support of Shamir when Sharon grabbed a microphone and shouted for votes on crushing unrest. Hundreds of Sharon supporters rose to their feet crying 'Arik' - his nickname - but Shamir was already leaving the platform claiming majority support. The Sharon supporters then changed their cries to shouts of "coward" aimed at the departing Prime Minister.

    <strong>Source: REUTERS - ELI FASTMAN</strong>
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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