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Friday, Dec. 25, 1998

Israel former chief of staff leaves military

After serving for 36 years, Lipkin-Shahak to enter politics, possibly run against Netanyahu

Associated Press

   TEL AVIV, Israel - After 36 years as a soldier, Israel's former army chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak left the military Thursday to enter politics - and likely challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a centrist candidate.
   Looking relaxed in a green shirt and blue slacks, Shahak turned in his uniform at an army induction center and smiled at the mob of reporters surrounding him. "What, am I so important?" he joked.
   Then, leaving the induction center, Shahak gave his first news conference as a civilian, calling on Israelis to "unite different parts of our society."
   "We must make peace among ourselves before we make peace with our neighbors," he said.
   Shahak was on his way to meet with President Ezer Weizman, the first of a marathon of meetings inaugurating his political career.
   In an interview in Thursday's Haaretz newspaper, Shahak rejected opposition leader Ehud Barak's call to join his left-wing Labor party. The newspaper quoted Shahak as saying if polls showed centrist candidate Dan Meridor leading, he would be willing to join him in the No. 2 slot.
   Meridor broke away from Netanyahu's conservative Likud party and announced his candidacy Tuesday after Israel's parliament voted for early elections.
   Labor leaders called Shahak's decision irresponsible.
   "Shahak is likely to cause the splitting of the peace camp," Labor legislator Yossi Beilin told Israel radio, referring to Israelis who support land-for-security agreements with the Palestinians. "If we were able to present one peace camp under Ehud Barak's leadership, victory in the elections would be assured."
   

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  © 1998 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.