Veteran Zionist politician moves right

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By Stan Goodenough
November 17, 2008

A long-serving Israeli politician and former minister made news Monday with the announcement that he had decided to leave his political home of 22 years and moved into the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party.

Uzi Landau, who was a Likud Party Knesset Member for most of his political life, will hold the number two position in Yisrael Beiteinu, under its leader Avigdor Lieberman.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Lieberman, Landau said he was "leaving the Likud, which was my political home since my youth. I served there with many friends for many years.

"Even after it cleaned itself off the Kadima gang, which has no way and no ideology and is essentially an expression of opportunism, the Likud is still gradually losing its identity, and it's unclear to me where it is heading," he said.

Warning that Israel could well face "a campaign of international and political pressure" after the February 10 general election, Landau said it was important to "quickly build the wall which will strengthen the national camp's leadership and way – and the State of Israel.

"Yisrael Beiteinu, the party I'm joining, is the anchor in the heart of the national camp. It's the wall. I disagree with some of its views and moves, but I can't forget for one moment that in some of the most important tests in regards to Israel's security and future, like the Road Map and disengagement, I found more partners to my views among its representatives than among my friends at the Likud."

Landau's decision will likely push Likud chairman and leading prime ministerial contender Benjamin Netanyahu to work even harder at upgrading the party's security credentials by signing up a number of nationally-famous right thinking individuals.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ayalon is reportedly poised to sign up with the Likud. Ayalon was replaced by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for taking a stand against the 2005 uprooting of thousands of Jews from their Gaza homes in what was euphemistically called "the disengagement."

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