Yisrael Beitenu MK Uzi Landau.

Party: Yisrael Beitenu

Knesset Profile: Uzi Landau

A member of the Knesset for Likud for 22 years (1982-2006), Uzi Landau announced in 2008 that he would be joining Yisrael Beitenu, claiming the Likud had lost its way.

He is vehemently opposed to the withdrawal of Israeli settlers from occupied territory, and gained notoriety in 2005 as the "rebel leader" of Likud, once Ariel Sharon announced plans for his unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Landau maintains that Israel should retain control of occupied East Jerusalem and all of its West Bank settlements.

Landau was given his first cabinet position in Ariel Sharon's government, and in his capacity as Minister of Internal Security, was behind the controversial Orient House closure, in which Israeli police conquered the PLO headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem and shut the facility amongst international outcry, including from the United States.

He described the move as an Israeli attempt to reaffirm its control over all of Jerusalem, and expressed his opposition to allowing any expressions of nationalism by the Palestinian residents of the city.

Known for his hawkish views, in February 2002, Landau implied that Israel should use chemical weapons against the Palestinians, by stating that Israel should do to the Palestinians "what the Iraqis did to the Kurds."

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