Shamir, Yitzhak, originally Yitzhak Jazernicki 1915-
Israeli politician

Born in Poland, he studied law at Warsaw University and, after emigrating to Palestine, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In his twenties he became a founder member of the Stern Gang (Fighters for the Freedom of Israel), the Zionist terrorist group which carried out anti-British attacks on strategic targets and personnel in Palestine. He was arrested by the British (1941) and exiled to Eritrea in 1946, but given asylum in France. He returned to the new State of Israel in 1948 and spent the next 20 years on the fringe of politics, immersing himself in business interests. He entered the Knesset in 1973, becoming its Speaker (1977-80). He was Foreign Minister (1980-83), before taking over the leadership of the right-wing Likud Party from Menachem Begin, and becoming Prime Minister (1983). From 1984, he shared power in an uneasy coalition with the Israel Labour Party and its leader, Shimon Peres. In 1990 the 'national unity' government collapsed, and in June 1992 Likud was defeated in the general election by the Labour Party, led by Yitzhak Rabin.