biography
| name: |
Shamir, Yitzhak
|
| |
originally Yitzhak Jazernicki
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pronunciation:
[shameer]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1915– )
|
| biography:
| Zionist leader and prime minister of Israel (1983–4, 1986–92), born in Ruzinoy, E Poland. He studied law at Warsaw University and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in his 20s became a founder member of the Israel Freedom Fighters, a terrorist group later known as the Stern Gang. He was arrested by the British in 1941 and exiled to Eritrea in 1946, but given asylum in France. He returned to the new state of Israel (1948), and entered the Knesset (1973–96). He was foreign minister (1980–3), before taking over the leadership of the right-wing Likud Party, and becoming prime minister. From 1984 he shared an uneasy coalition with the Labour leader Shimon Peres, and was re-elected in 1988, but lost his position when Labour under Rabin won the 1992 election. |
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