Benjamin Netanyahu has launched his campaign to oust Ariel Sharon from the leadership of the right-wing Likud party, with a blistering attack on Israel's pullout from Gaza. TEL AVIV 30 August 2005- "I intend to lead us to victory in the upcoming elections and to establish the next government in the spirit of Likud," the charismatic former premier told a press conference in the commercial capital Tel Aviv on Tuesday. "The Likud needs a leader who can unite the ranks, who can rebuild the ruins and take the Likud to victory, and afterwards, to lead the country in the spirit of our principles. "I believe I can do this, so I am today announcing my candidacy for leadership of the Likud." The widely-expected decision comes less than a month after Netanyahu quit his post as finance minister in protest at Sharon's decision to pull troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip and a corner of the West Bank. "Sharon gave and gave and gave some more, the Palestinians got more and more and more," said Netanyahu. "What did we get in return? The answer is: nothing, nothing and nothing. The opposite. The Gaza Strip is turning into base for Hamas, Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda and the terrorists' motivation is growing stronger," he added. Netanyahu was flanked at the press conference by a number of Likud MPs including the former foreign minister David Levy and defence and foreign affairs committee chairman Yuval Steinitz. The 55-year-old Netanyahu, 22 years younger than Sharon, served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999 before a crushing general election defeat at the hands of the centre-left Labour party. Netanyahu managed to rebuild his reputation as finance minister under Sharon but he quit on August 7 in protest at the plan to pull settlers out of Gaza and four small West Bank enclaves, which was completed a week ago. Likud's central committee is due to meet on September 25 where it is expected to set a November 22 date to hold a leadership primary vote. While Sharon's historic Gaza pullout has enjoyed a majority of support among the public, he has been unable to win over the bulk of Likud members who rejected the project in a referendum last year. The ill-concealed animosity between the pair has boiled over since Netanyahu's resignation, with Sharon savaging the man known as "Bibi" in a television interview late Monday. Netanyahu was an "uptight and pressurable individual who panics and loses his wits," Sharon told Channel 10. With his public opinion poll ratings holding up well despite the divisions wrought by his disengagement plan, some observers have predicted that Sharon may split from Likud and form a new party. However Sharon insisted in his interview on Monday: "I was elected by the Likud and I will run on behalf of the Likud -- and I believe that I will form the next government." Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom appealed for unity, fearing an electoral disaster if the two men cannot reconcile. "If we end up provoking early elections and Likud is divided, there is no guarantee that we can return to power," he said. |
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