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Water and Energy Minister Uzi Landau – who has a rich defense background, having served in the past as Public Security Minister – said that Israel should respect the wishes of terrorists who preferred to starve themselves, and not try to figure out ways to convince them to eat. “This hunger strike and the riots in their wake is just another provocation by the Palestinian Authority,” he said. “We must not panic.” Speaking to Arutz Sheva Monday, Landau said that the PA was going out of its way to cause riots, as a “greeting,” and a message, to U.S. President...

Nov. 24, 2005 18:47 | Updated Nov. 24, 2005 21:25 Low turnout mars Sharon-less Likud committee event By GIL HOFFMAN The Likud central committee convenes Minister without portfolio Tzahi Hanegbi Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski The first Likud central committee meeting without Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was intended to be a showcase of party unity in the post-Sharon era, but instead it will be remembered for its low turnout. When the event was supposed to start at 5 p.m., the room was nearly empty. It started an hour late and finished shortly thereafter. Organizers said after the event that 911 central committee...

Likud to Choose New Leader Likud Committee approves December primariesAmid growing tension among candidates for Likud leadership, ominous polls ahead of March general elections, Likud Central Committee convene in Tel Aviv Thursday to approve December 19 as date for leadership contest Attila Somfalvi Closing in. Mofaz Photo: Gil Yohanan A positive campaign. Netanyahu Photo: AFP Amid the growing tension among the candidates for Likud leadership and the ominous polls ahead of the March general elections, the Likud Central Committee is convening in Tel Aviv Thursday to approve the date for primary elections for party chairmanship and to determine the ordering...

Nov. 16, 2005 8:24 | Updated Nov. 16, 2005 19:39 New poll finds Sharon has 30% lead over Netanyahu By GIL HOFFMAN AND JPOST STAFFPrime Minister Ariel Sharon at Sunday's cabinet meeting. Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski If Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering whether to split the Likud and form a new party, he may want to draw his attention to a recent poll that found that he would defeat his main challenger, MK Binyamin Netanyahu, by over 30 percent. The poll, which was commissioned by Channel 10 and conducted among Likud voters, found that nearly 49% would vote for Sharon,...

Likud rebel and anti-disengagement leader MK Uzi Landau on Monday announced that pullout foes had "failed in the struggle to stop the withdrawal." Standing at the entry to Gush Katif, Landau told settlers he had come to apologize to them for the failure. "The Chairman of the Likud and a group of a number of other people - not the majority of the Likud - who sit deep in their armchairs in Knesset and the government did not take the courage in their souls to stand for the principles for which we have been working for the sake of...

Last Update: 12/01/2005 23:03 PM wins war of wills with Likud rebels on State Budget bill By Mazal Mualem and Zvi Zrahiya, Haaretz Correspondents The Knesset on Wednesday approved the first reading of the 2005 State Budget bill after the Likud rebels decided to support it. The bill was passed by a majority of 64 to 53 MKs, thus preventing a deep parliamentary crisis as sources close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned that if the bill was rejected, Sharon would not hesitate to call on new elections. The anti-disengagement Likud rebels decided earlier on Wednesday to vote in favor...