Likud

Likud or ליכוד literally means 'consolidation'. The Likud is a right-wing Israeli political party.

History

The Likud's roots are Zeev Jabotinsky's Revisionist Zionist movement which became the Herut party and was the main opposition to the Labour Zionist Mapai party.

Related Topics:
Zeev Jabotinsky - Revisionist Zionist - Herut - Labour Zionist - Mapai

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The Likud was formed by the joining together of La'am (made up of the Free Center, State List and the "Movement for Greater Israel") and Gahal (Gush Herut Liberalim) in preparation for the 1973 elections. It quickly became and remains to this day the conservative party in Israel. The Likud worked as a coalition of its factions led by Menachem Begin's Herut until 1988 when the factions formally dissolved and Likud became a unitary political party.

Related Topics:
La'am - State List - Gahal - Menachem Begin

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The first Likud prime minister was Menachem Begin (elected 1977). A former leader of the hard-line paramilitary Irgun, he helped initiate the peace process with Egypt, which resulted in the Camp David Accords and the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. The second was Yitzhak Shamir, who first became PM in October 1983 following Begin's resignation. The third was Benjamin Netanyahu, elected in May 1996. The fourth is Ariel Sharon, elected March 2001. Sharon served as defence minister during Operation Peace for the Galilee (1982). His entire tenure was marked by the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Sharon was re-elected in January 2003 and continues to serve as prime minister.

Related Topics:
Menachem Begin - 1977 - Irgun - Egypt - Camp David Accords - 1979 - Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty - Yitzhak Shamir - 1983 - Benjamin Netanyahu - 1996 - Ariel Sharon - 2001 - Operation Peace for the Galilee - 1982 - Al-Aqsa Intifada - 2003

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In 1998 a number of right wing members of Likud, including Benny Begin, son of the former Prime Minister, quit the party denouncing it as having become too moderate for having agreed to the Wye River Accords. They formed a new Herut party.

Related Topics:
Benny Begin - Wye River Accords - New Herut party

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On 2001, following the terrorist attacks of the al-Aqsa Intifada, Ehud Barak lost the elections to Likud leader Ariel Sharon. On the 2003 elections the Likud has doubled his power, rising to 40 mandates (out of 120) and securing power jobs in the government, ministries, public institues and state bureucracy.

Related Topics:
2001 - Terrorist - Al-Aqsa Intifada - Ehud Barak - Ariel Sharon - 2003

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