PM Sharon 'disappears'
Photo: Reuters
Sharon erased from Likud website
No trace of former leader on party's website; Likud 'forgets' to mention Sharon founded party
Disappearing act: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been in hospital for three weeks now, but in that short timeframe the PM's former party, the Likud, managed to delete any trace of Sharon's involvement with the party from its website.
The embarrassing website was promptly removed following Wednesday's media reports.
The website section dedicated to Likud landmarks mentions the party was established in the 1970s after several factions joined forces, but the site "forgets" to mention that Sharon was the man behind the move.
The site also notes that in 1982, former Prime Minister Menachem Begin's government initiated the "Peace for Galilee" operation, later known as the Lebanon War. Yet there is no mention that here too, then-Defense Minister Sharon was the man who initiated the move.
The most detailed chapters regarding the Likud's history are dedicated to current Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and recount many of his achievements as prime minister. Curiously, the party's history "ends" in 1998 – on the website at least – several months before Netanyahu lost the general elections to the Labor party's Ehud Barak.
The site makes no mention of Sharon's years in power or the acts undertaken by the Likud governments he led.
Meanwhile, some members of Likud also expressed their surprise over Sharon's "disappearance", claiming it was exaggerated.
However, Likud spokesman Ronen Moshe dismissed the suggestions Sharon's name was deliberately removed, telling reporters: "We're talking about ridiculous and completely baseless claims. The Likud website was upgraded in the past three days, and the process is still not completed. In the coming days, all missing content will be added."
