Word: shamir
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...that Labor's Peres and Likud's Shamir have switched jobs (Peres becoming Foreign Minister, Shamir Prime Minister) there is apprehension. Are the good times over...
Even as Israel's quarrelsome leaders worked out the details of an unprecedented agreement that brings Yitzhak Shamir to power as Prime Minister this week, the country was suddenly caught up in a looming military crisis. After Israeli air and naval forces attacked Palestinian positions near the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon in retaliation for a terrorist attack near Jerusalem's Western Wall, an Israeli pilot was captured by the Shi'ite Amal militia. At week's end, as Israeli troop strength was beefed up on the Lebanese border, the fragile national unity government in Jerusalem hastily closed ranks...
...terrorist explosion and the military action in Lebanon undoubtedly played a part in settling the last-minute quarrel between the partners in Israel's national unity government. According to their rotation plan, Labor Party Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Shamir, head of the Likud bloc, were scheduled to switch jobs last Tuesday. Indeed, Peres, who has led the country for the past 25 months, had submitted his resignation the previous week to President Chaim Herzog, and Shamir was poised to be sworn in for the next 25 months, until new elections scheduled for November 1988. At the last...
...center of the crisis was Yitzhak Moda'i, a volatile Likud leader whom Peres had forced to resign as Justice Minister last July. Moda'i had attacked Peres, saying the Prime Minister is "as untutored about law as he is about economics." But last week Shamir decided he wanted Moda'i in his Cabinet. Peres balked. As the new Foreign Minister, Peres was determined that he should be permitted to name a close aide as the new Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. This time Shamir balked...
...week's end, with more perilous matters facing the country, Peres and Shamir agreed that Moda'i would rejoin the Cabinet but only as a Minister Without Portfolio. Shamir conceded to Peres the power to nominate the new U.S. Ambassador, but reserved for himself the right of veto. To be sure, a new fracas could break out at any time within the fragile ruling coalition. But for the moment, the way was cleared at last for the rotation to take place this week...