Knesset Service
Elected to the Knesset - 1974
Member - Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee

Additional Information
Sharon was instrumental in the creation of the Likud party in 1973, but a year later he resigned from the Knesset and served as Yitzhak Rabin's Defense adviser.

Sharon joined Menachem Begin's government in 1977 as Minister of Agriculture and served as chairman of the ministerial committee for settlements. Over 230 settlements were created within seven years in Judea, Samaria, the Gaza Strip and elsewhere.

As Minister of Defense, Sharon coordinated Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. According to reports, Sharon did not inform Prime Minister Menachem Begin of the planned scope of the operations. Originally assumed to be limited in nature, Israeli troops reached and captured much of Beirut in an extended effort.

Sharon was also blamed for failing to prevent the massacre of as many as 2,000 Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps outside of Beirut at the hands of Christian militiamen allied with Israel. An official Israeli inquiry found Sharon indirectly responsible for the killings, and Sharon was forced to resign.

While participating in the Wye River talks in 1998 as Foreign Minister, Sharon refused to talk or shake hands with Yasser Arafat.

Following Benyamin Netanyahu's resignation as leader of the Likud in May 1999, Sharon took the reins of the party.

The Palestinians blame Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount on September 28, 2000, for sparking a new wave of violent clashes that they call El-Aksa Intifada.

In the special elections for Prime Minister held in February 6, 2001, Sharon received 62.4% of the vote, defeating incumbent Ehud Barak.