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Shamir, Yitzhak (1915-)
Israeli Prime Minister
Born in eastern Poland, Yitzhak Shamir (originally Jazernicki) was a member
of the Betar youth movement. He studied law in Warsaw, but immigrated to
Eretz Yisrael in 1935 before completing his degree. He later studied at
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Shamir was a member of two militant Jewish underground organizations
which were active before Israel gained its independence in 1948: first,
the Irgun Zva'i Leumi (known as the "Irgun" or "organization") and later,
the Lohamei Herut Israel ("Lehi," also known as the Stern Gang). Both
groups were active in counter-terrorist acts against Arabs as well as
sabotage against the British. Shamir was arrested by the British on two
different occasions, but escaped both times.
Shamir was exiled to France, but returned to Israel in 1948, working
for the government, eventually becoming a senior intelligence official.
In 1970, he joined the Herut party headed by Menachem Begin and was elected
to the Knesset in 1973. Shamir was Knesset Speaker from 1977-1980, and
then became Foreign Minister. When Begin resigned from both the government
and as head of the Likud party in 1983, Shamir assumed both posts Begin
vacated, while remaining Foreign Minister.
Results of the 1984 elections were indecisive and the Likud was forced
to accept a national unity arrangement with the Labor party. First Labor's
Shimon Peres was Prime Minister while Shamir was Foreign Minister, then
they rotated in 1986. Maintaining a hard line against the Palestinian
uprisings (the intifada), he remained Prime Minister when elections were
held in November 1988.
When Shamir's government lost a parliamentary vote of confidence in
1990, he formed a coalition of the Likud and several right-wing and religious
parties. He agreed to participate in comprehensive peace talks beginning
in 1991 [Madrid], but his strong support for new Jewish settlement on
the West Bank hampered negotiations with the Palestinians and strained
relations with the United States.
The Likud lost the general election in June 1992, when Yitzhak Rabin
succeeded Shamir as Prime Minister. The following year, Binyamin Netanyahu
succeeded him as head of the Likud, becoming Prme Minister in 1996.
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