The Hamas Charter & the Likud Constitution

Two despicable organizations.

Yet the respective populations have voted for them in large numbers.

But what exactly makes them despicable?

Let's look at their central ideology-espousing documents, the Hamas Charter and the Likud Constitution.

Note: While there are other groups like Hatikvah and Habayit Hayehudi (probably; it's unclear for sure) and Islamic Jihad and others that make the Likud and Hamas look somewhat moderate in comparison, none of these parties have received significant popular support (Yisrael Beitenu is somewhat of an anomaly for various reasons that I won't get into. Though it did get about 10% of the seats in this last Knesset, it's expected to drop significantly this time, and again, its platform is erratic)

Below, most of the Charter and the full Likud Constitution and "National Security" page (since the Constitution is a bit sparse).

The full charter is too long to post here, so I will have to excerpt quite a bit.

I will try to just cut the more mundane parts, but you're welcome to complain that I left something out.

Link to the Full Charter

News

   THE CHARTER OF ALLAH: THE PLATFORM OF THE ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT (HAMAS)*

Translated and annotated by Raphael Israeli Harry Truman Research Institute The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel,

                 THE CHARTER OF THE HAMAS

                      PART I

             KNOWING THE MOVEMENT

            The Ideological Aspects

Article One
  The Islamic Resistance Movement draws its guidelines from Islam; derives from it its thinking, interpretations and views about existence, life and humanity; refers back to it for its conduct; and is inspired by it in whatever step it takes.

   The Link between Hamas and the Association of Muslim Brothers
Article Two
   The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a world organization, the largest Islamic Movement in the modern era.
...
                    Structure and Essence
Article Three
   The basic structure of the Islamic Resistance Movement consists of Muslims who are devoted to Allah and worship Him verily
...

Article Four
  The Movement welcomes all Muslims who share its beliefs and thinking, commit themselves to its course of action, keep its secrets and aspire to join its ranks in order to carry out their duty. Allah will reward them.

             Peculiarity and Independence
Article Six

The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinct Palestinian Movement which owes its loyalty to Allah, derives from Islam its way of life and strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine. Only under the shadow of Islam could the members of all regions coexist in safety and security for their lives, properties and rights(11). In the absence of Islam, conflict arises, oppression reigns, corruption is rampant and struggles and wars prevail.
                The Universality of Hamas
Article Seven

    By virtue of the distribution of Muslims, who pursue the cause of the Hamas, all over the globe, and strive for its victory, for the reinforcement of its positions and for the encouragement of its Jihad, the Movement is a universal one. It is apt to be that due to the clarity of its thinking, the nobility of its purpose and the loftiness of its objectives.
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Hamas is one of the links in the Chain of Jihad in the confrontation with the Zionist invasion. It links up with the setting out of the Martyr Izz a-din al-Qassam(13) and his brothers in the Muslim Brotherhood who fought the Holy War in 1936; it further relates to another link of the Palestinian Jihad and the Jihad and efforts of the Muslim Brothers during the 1948(14) War, and to the Jihad operations of the Muslim Brothers in 1968(15) and thereafter.
...
                    The Slogan of the Hamas
Article Eight
   Allah is its goal, the Prophet its model, the Quzan its Constitution, Jihad its path and death for the case of Allah its most sublime belief.          
                          PART II OBJECTIVES

Hamas finds itself at a period of time when Islam has waned away from the reality of life. For this reason, the checks and balances have been upset, concepts have become confused, and values have been transformed; evil has prevailed, oppression and obscurity have reigned; cowards have turned tigers, homelands have been usurped, people have been uprooted and are wandering all over the globe. The state of truth has disappeared and was replaced by the state of evil. Nothing has remained in its right place, for when Islam is removed from the scene, everything changes. These are the motives.
...
              PART III
                  STRATEGIES AND METHODS

The Strategy of Hamas: Palestine is an Islamic Waqf(19)
Article Eleven

      The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it. No Arab country nor the aggregate of all Arab countries, and no Arab King or President nor all of them in the aggregate, have that right, nor has that right any organization or the aggregate of all organizations, be they Palestinian or Arab, because Palestine is an Islamic Waqf throughout all generations and to the Day or Resurrection. Who can presume to speak for all Islamic generations to the Day of Resurrection?
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Hamas in Palestine: Its Views on Homeland and Nationalism(24)

Article Twelve

Hamas regards Nationalism (Wataniyya) as part and parcel of the religious faith. Nothing is loftier or deeper in Nationalism than waging Jihad against the enemy and confronting him when he sets foot on the land of the Muslims. And this becomes an individual duty(25) binding on every Muslim man and woman; a woman must go out and fight the enemy even without her husband's authorization, and a slave without his masters' permission.
 
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  Peaceful Solutions [Peace] Initiatives and International Conferences Article Thirteen

 [Peace] initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and the international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem, are all contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement. For renouncing any part of Palestine means renouncing part of the religion; the nationalism of the Islamic Resistance Movement is part of its faith, the movement educates its members to adhere to its principles and to raise the banner of Allah over their homeland as they fight their Jihad: "Allah is the all-powerful, but most people are not aware."
...

The Three Circles Article Fourteen

   The problem of the liberation of Palestine relates to three circles: the Palestinian, the Arab and the Islamic. Each one of these circles has a role to play in the struggle against Zionism and it has duties to fulfill.  It would be an enormous mistake and an abysmal act of ignorance to disregard anyone of these circles. For Palestine is an Islamic land where the First Qibla(29) and the third holiest site(30) are located. That is also the place whence the Prophet, be Allah's prayer and peace upon him, ascended to Heavens(31).

...
   The Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine is an Individual    
                     Obligation(36)

Article Fifteen

   When our enemies usurp some Islamic lands, Jihad becomes a duty binding on all Muslims. In order to face the usurpation of Palestine by the Jews, we have no escape from raising the banner of Jihad. This would require the propagation of Islamic consciousness among the masses on all local, Arab and Islamic levels. We must spread the spirit of Jihad among the [Islamic] Umma, clash with the enemies and join the ranks of the Jihad fighters.
...
                  Educating the [Young] Generations
Article Sixteen
    We must accord the Islamic [young] generations in our area, an Islamic education based on the implementation of religious precepts, on the conscientious study of the Book of Allah; on the Study of the Prophetic Tradition(45), on the study of Islamic history and heritage from its reliable sources, under the guidance of experts and scientists(46); and on singling out the paths which constitute for the Muslims sound concepts of thinking and faith.
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                   The Role of Muslim Women
Article Seventeen
The Muslim women have a no lesser role than that of men in the war of liberation; they manufacture men and play a great role in guiding and educating the [new] generation. The enemies have understood that role, therefore they realize that if they can guide and educate [the Muslim women] in a way that would distance them from Islam, they would have won that war. Therefore, you can see them making consistent efforts [in that direction] by way of publicity and movies, curriculi of education and culture, using as their intermediaries their craftsmen who are part of the various Zionist Organizations which take on all sorts of names and shapes such as: the Free Masons, Rotary Clubs, gangs of spies and the like. All of them are nests of saboteurs and sabotage. Those Zionist organizations control vast material resources, which enable them to fulfill their mission amidst societies, with a view of implementing Zionist goals and sowing the concepts that can be of use to the enemy. Those organizations operate [in a situation] where Islam is absent from the arena and alienated from its people. Thus, the Muslims must fulfill their duty in confronting the schemes of those saboteurs. When Islam will retake possession of [the means to] guide the life [of the Muslims], it will wipe out those organizations which are the enemy of humanity and Islam.
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              Social Solidarity

Article Twenty
  This is the Islamic spirit which ought to prevail in any Muslim society. A society which confronts a vicious, Nazi-like enemy, who does not differentiate between man and women, elder and young ought to be the first to adorn itself with this Islamic spirit. Our enemy pursues the style of collective punishment of usurping(49) people's countries and properties, of pursuing them into their exiles and places of assembly. It has resorted to breaking bones, opening fire on women and children and the old, with or without reason, and to setting up detention camps where thousands upon thousands are interned in inhuman conditions. In addition, it destroys houses, renders children orphans and issues oppressive judgements against thousands of young people who spend the best years of their youth in the darkness of prisons. The Nazism of the Jews does not skip women and children, it scares everyone. They make war against people's livelihood, plunder their moneys and threaten their honour. In their horrible actions they mistreat people like the most horrendous war criminals. Exiling people from their country is another way of killing them. As we face this misconduct, we have no escape from establishing social solidarity among the people, from confronting the enemy as one solid body, so that if one organ is hurt the rest of the body will respond with alertness and fervor. Article Twenty One
   Social solidarity consists of extending help to all the needy, both materially and morally, or assisting in the execution of certain actions. It is incumbent upon the members of the Hamas to look after the interests of the masses the way they would look after their own interests. They must spare no effort in the implementation and maintenance of those interests, and they must avoid playing with anything that might effect the future generations or cause damage to their society. For the masses are of them and for them, their strength is [ultimately] theirs and their future is theirs. The members of Hamas must share with the people its joys and sorrows, and adopt the demands of the people and anything likely to fulfill its interests and theirs. When this spirit reigns, congeniality will deepen, cooperation and compassion will prevail, unity will firm up, and the ranks will be strengthened in the confrontation with the enemy.
                The Powers which Support the Enemy

Article Twenty Two
    The enemies have been scheming for a long time, and they have consolidated their schemes, in order to achieve what they they have achieved. They took advantage of key-elements in unfolding events, and accumulated a huge and influential material wealth which they put to the service of implementing their dream. This wealth [permitted them to] take over control of the world media such as news agencies, the press, publication houses, broadcasting and the like. [They also used this] wealth to stir revolutions in various parts of the globe in order to fulfill their interests and pick the fruits. They stood behind the French and the Communist Revolutions and behind most of the revolutions we hear about here and there. They also used the money to establish clandestine organizations which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests. Such organizations are: the Free Masons, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, B'nai B'rith and the like. All of them are destructive spying organizations. They also used the money to take over control of the Imperialist states and made them colonize many countries in order to exploit the wealth of those countries and spread their corruption therein.
   As regards local and world wars, it has come to pas s and no one objects, that they stood behind World War 1, so as to wipe out the Islamic Caliphate(50). They collected material gains and took control of many sources of wealth. They obtained the Balfour Declaration(51) and established the League of Nations in order to rule the world by means of that organization. They also stood behind World War II, where they collected immense benefits from trading with war materials, and prepared for the establishment of their state. They inspired the establishment of the United Nations and the Security Council to replace the League of Nations, in order to rule the world by their intermediary. There was no war that broke out anywhere without their fingerprints on it:

    PART IV
            Our Position Vis-a-Vis the Islamic Movements

Article Twenty Three
       The Hamas views the other Islamic movements with respect and appreciation. Even when it differs from them in one aspect or another or on one concept or another, it agrees with them in other aspects and concepts. It reads those movements as included in the framework of striving [for the sake of Allah], as long as they hold sound intentions and abide by their devotion to Allah, and as long as their conduct remains within the perimeter of the Islamic circle. All the fighters of Jihad have their reward.
   
    The Palestine Liberation Organization

  Article Twenty Seven

           The PLO is among the closest to the Hamas, for its constitutes a father, a brother, a relative, a friend. Can a Muslim turn away from his father, his brother, his relative or his friend? Our homeland is one, our calamity is one, our destiny is one and our enemy is common to both of us. Under the influence of the circumstances which surrounded the founding of the PLO, and the ideological confusion which prevails in the Arab world as a result of the ideological invasion which has swept the Arab world since the rout of the Crusades, and which has been reinforced by Orientalism and the Christian Mission, the PLO has adopted the idea of a Secular State, and so we think of it. Secular thought is diametrically opposed to religious thought. Thought is the basis for positions, for modes of conduct and for resolutions. Therefore, in spite of our appreciation for the PLO and its possible transformation in the future, and despite the fact that we do not denigrate its role in the Arab-Israeli conflict, we cannot substitute it for the Islamic nature of Palestine by adopting secular thought. For the Islamic nature of Palestine is part of our religion, and anyone who neglects his religion is bound to lose.

         "And who forsakes the religion of Abraham, save him who
         befools himself.?" Sura II (Al-Baqra - the Co ), verse 130.

  When the PLO adopts Islam as the guideline for life, then we shall become its soldiers, the fuel of its fire which will bum the enemies. And until that happens, and we pray to Allah that it will happen soon, the position of the Hamas towards the PLO is one of a son towards his father, a brother towards his brother, and a relative towards his relative who suffers the other's pain when a thorn hits him, who supports the other in the Confrontation with the enemies and who wishes him divine guidance and integrity of conduct.

   Your brother, your brother! Whoever has no brother, is like a fighter who runs to the battle without weapons. A cousin for man is like the best wing, and no falcon can take off without wings. The Arab and Islamic States and Governments

Article Twenty-Eight

The Zionist invasion is a mischievous one. It does not hesitate to take any road, or to pursue all despicable and repulsive means to fulfill its desires. It relies to a great extent, for its meddling and spying activities, on the clandestine organizations which it has established, such as the Free Masons, Rotary Clubs, Lions, and other spying associations. All those secret organizations, some which are overt, act for the interests of Zionism and under its directions, strive to demolish societies, to destroy values, to wreck answerableness(58), to totter virtues and to wipe out Islam. It stands behind the diffusion of drugs and toxics of all kinds in order to facilitate its control and expansion.
  The Arab states surrounding Israel are required to open their borders to the Jihad fighters, the sons of the Arab and Islamic peoples, to enable them to play their role and to join their efforts to those of their brothers among the Muslim Brothers in Palestine. The other Arab and Islamic states are required, at the very least, to facilitate the movement of the Jihad fighters from and to them.
   We cannot fail to remind every Muslim that when the Jews occupied Holy Jerusalem in 1967 and stood at the doorstep of the Blessed Aqsa Mosque, they shouted with joy:

      "Muhammed is dead, he left daughters behind."(59)

   Israel, by virtue of its being Jewish and of having a Jewish population, defies Islam and the Muslims. "

      The Attempts to Isolate the Palestinian People
Article Thirty Two

   World Zionism and Imperialist forces have been attempting, with smart moves and considered planning, to push the Arab countries, one after another, out of the circle of conflict with Zionism, in order, ultimately, to isolate the Palestinian People. Egypt has already been cast out of the conflict, to a very great extent through the treacherous Camp David Accords, and she has been trying to drag other countries into similar agreements in order to push them out of the circle of conflict.
  Hamas is calling upon the Arab and Islamic peoples to act seriously and tirelessly in order to frustrate that dreadful scheme and to make the masses aware of the danger of coping out of the circle of struggle with Zionism. Today it is Palestine and tomorrow it may be another country or other countries. For Zionist scheming has no end, and after Palestine they will covet expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates. Only when they have completed digesting the area on which they will have laid their hand, they will look forward to more expansion, etc. Their scheme has been laid out in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and their present [conduct] is the the best proof of what is said there.

  Leaving the circle of conflict with Israel is a major act of treason and it will bring curse on its perpetrators.

   We have no escape from pooling together all the forces and energies to face this despicable Nazi-Tatar invasion. Otherwise we shall witness the loss of [our] countries, the uprooting of their inhabitants, the spreading of corruption on earth and the destruction of all religious values. Let every realize that he is accountable to Allah.

    Within the circle of the conflict with world Zionism, the Hamas regards itself the spearhead and the avant-garde. It joins its efforts to all those who are active on the Palestinian scene, but more steps need to be taken by the Arab and Islamic peoples and Islamic associations throughout the Arab and Islamic world in order to make possible the next round with the Jews(60), the merchants of war.

Okay, now the Likud Constitution and its national security platform.

The Likud Party Constitution

Official Version as of 1Heshvan 5767 - October 22, 2006

This is a highly abridged excerpt of the constitution for informational purposes only.

To read the official Likud constitution in its entirety (in Hebrew), click here.

Article 1: Name of the Party

The name of the party : The Likud, a National-Liberal Party

Article 2: General purposes

1. The Likud is a national-liberal party which advocates the ingathering of the exiles, the integrity of the Jewish homeland, human freedom and social justice, and it strives to achieve these goals:

a. Bringing together the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, ingathering its dispersed people, cultivating love of the country in the hearts of the people, and recognizing the shared destiny of all of the Jewish people.

b. Safeguarding the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel as an eternal, inalienable right, working diligently to settle and develop all parts of the land of Israel, and extending national sovereignty to them.

c. Exercising state sovereignty and maintaining security and true peace with our neighbors.

d. Instilling the eternal values of the Jewish heritage in education and in national life, safeguarding moral values and ethical principles and establishing a moral society in the Land of Israel.

e. Maintaining a democratic form of government: guaranteeing the supremacy of law, human and civil rights, freedom of conscience, individual freedoms, equal rights and opportunities of all citizens of the state and preventing discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, status, or viewpoint.

f. Integrating minority populations into the national and party organizations.

g. Strengthening the state economy and creating the proper conditions for economic growth and the establishment of a self-sustaining free economy based on competition and free enterprise, and reducing insofar as possible government intervention in the economy.

h. Developing and promoting the development towns and distressed neighborhoods.

1. Demanding government responsibility for a satisfactory level of personal security, education health, employment, and quality of the environment.

Article 3: Membership

Membership in the party

1. A citizen of Israel, resident in the country, who identifies with the goals and the party and is not a member of another political party is eligible for membership in the party.

2. A person will not be accepted for membership if he has been convicted by a competent court of law in a peremptory ruling of an offense involving moral turpitude, from one year after the verdict or from the last day of serving the sentence, whichever is later.

3. A party member will uphold the bylaws of the constitution, heed the decisions of the party's institutions and authorities, and help realize the party's goals.

Application to join the party

5. A request to join the party will be signed by the applicant for membership on an application form ‘Membership application' and will include the following:

1. The applicant's declaration that he identifies with the party's goals.

2. A declaration that the applicant is not a member of another political party.

3. Authorization to bill the applicant ‘s bank account for membership fees .

Membership fees

10. The member will pay annual membership fees to the party

11. Membership fees will be paid by a bank transfer crediting the bank account of the party.

Membership in a local branch of the party

15. Members will be registered in the local branch of the party only. A member who is attending an educational institution may be registered at the branch where the educational institution is located.

For this purpose, his place of residence shall be the place where he is registered in the population registry.

A member may belong to only one branch.

The right to vote and be elected

18. A member is eligible to vote for the party's institutions and those of the branch where he is a member on condition that he has been a member of the party for a minimum of 16 months preceding the date of elections and that he has regularly paid annual membership fees.

A member is eligible to be elected to such institutions on condition that he has been a member of the party at least two years before the relevant date and has paid annual membership fees.

A member is eligible to be elected on the party's list to the Knesset, the World Zionist Organization, to the head of local government or regional councils, or the Histadrute of Workers or any other institution which does not belong to the party on condition that he has been a member of the party for a minimum of three years before presenting his candidacy and has paid annual membership fees.

Central party institutions

Article 5: The Convention

The supreme institution

50. The Convention , and between sessions of the Convention, the Central Committee are the supreme institutions of the party and they are authorized to make decisions relating to all the affairs of the party.

51. The delegates to the party convention will become members of the Central Committee between conventions.

The elected convention opening with its first session will convene within 90 days of the publication of the results of the elections for this institution. It will be adjourned within 90 days and not less than 30 days after its opening, after electing the chairman of the Central Committee, the chairman of the secretariat, and the chairman of the party office.

The first session of the Central Committee will convene within 30 days of the adjournment of the Convention .

53. Elections for the Convention will take place every four years from the date of its adjournment. Elections will not be held for the Convention within the period of one year before elections for the Knesset or local government unless the Central Committee has decided otherwise.

The authorities of the Convention and the Central Committee

55. The Convention is authorized to make decisions relating to the party constitution and to amend it periodically by a majority vote of those participating in the vote.

(b) The Convention shall elect the court of the Likud Party and the control committee.

(c)The Convention shall elect its chairman, presidency and committees, and is authorized to decide on its working procedures.

(d) The Convention and the Central Committee are authorized to pass resolutions and to amend them.

(E) (1)The Central Committee is authorized to amend the constitution, except for clause 80, by a two-thirds majority of those taking part in the vote; in the case of a proposal sent to it by the Convention on condition that it is less than 18 months since the adjournment of the Convention - by a majority of the participants in the vote.

(E)(2) The Convention and the Central Committee have one standing Constitution Committee.

Proceedings of the Central Committee

78. The Central Committee decides all matters of the party between conventions, on condition that this authority was not granted to another institution under this constitution.

79. The Central Committee is authorized by a majority vote of its members to change any decision of the convention. Any such amendment made by the Central Committee will be brought to the knowledge of the convention at the next session after the decision is made and the decision will not become valid unless ratified by the convention.

80. Any decision made by the party regarding a connection with another political entity will be made by the Central Committee and requires a majority vote of its members.

81. The Central Committee will meet every six months and at least once a year.

82. The agenda and date of the Central Committee session, except for a meeting called under par. 84(a) will be coordinated between the Central Committee and the chairman of the party. In the event of dispute, the chairman of the party will decide.

83. Convening and organizing the Central Committee session will be done by the organizational division of the party.

Article 6: The Likud Party Chairman

84(a)(1) The Likud party leader will be elected at a date to be determined by the Central Committee and no later than six months before the date of the Knesset elections.(b) The chairman of the Likud will be elected in elections that are personal, general, direct, and secret, by the entire voting body as registered in the voter's registry.

85. The head of the Likud is the party's candidate to be Prime Minster of the State of Israel.

86. (a) In elections for the head of the Likud, the candidate to win the highest number of valid votes, which is at least 40% of the total votes, will be elected.

(b) In the event, that no candidate wins this number of votes, there will be a second round of voting within 14 days of the first round.

(c ) The second round of voting will be held between the candidate who won the highest number of votes and the candidate who won the next highest number of votes.

(e) In the event that in the second round, both candidates win the same number of votes, they will total the number of votes from the first round and the second round, and the one with the highest cumulative number of votes will win.

If after the second round, there is still parity between the candidates, the Likud convention or Central Committee will decide the winner, as the case may be.

The authority of the chairman of the party

87. The chairman will open the discussions of the party convention.

88. The chairman is authorized to bring before the party convention and its committees as well as before any institution and any authority of the party his proposal for a resolution. Such proposal will be brought for a vote at the first opportunity unless the chairman has agreed to postpone the vote or the majority of participants have voted to dismiss the motion.

89. The chairman will appoint the chairman of the Likud elections committee for Knesset, local government, and Histadrut elections.

Control Committee

91(a) When setting the date for the elections for the party chairman, the Central Committee will elect a committee to oversee the direct elections for the party chairman (hereinafter: the control committee) and appoint as its head a retired judge either of the Supreme Court or of a district court.

Article 11: The Knesset faction

137. The members of the party in the Knesset and members of the government of the party who are not members of Knesset will constitute the Likud faction in the Knesset.

Authorities

138 (a) The faction will election a chairperson of the faction and members of the faction's administration.

(b) The faction will elect a deputy speaker of the Knesset, chairpersons for the various Knesset committees, as well as members of the Knesset committees.

(c) The faction will elect every candidate for other positions who are to be elected by law in the Knesset plenum and/or any of its committees, excluding candidates for minister and deputy-minister positions.

138.(d) The Knesset faction shall represent the party in the spirit of the principles of the party, taking into consideration the decision of its authorized institutions, and shall act in every issue related to the activities and authority of the Knesset.

Method of election

139 (a) After electing the chairman of the party, as stated in par. 84(b) the entire body of party members will elect the rest of the candidates for the Likud list for the Knesset, also to be conducted through personal, general, direct, and secret elections. The regional representatives of the Likud for the Knesset will be elected by the membership of that region only. The Central Committee will determine the procedure for holding elections after a decision in the constitutional committee.

140 The Likud Central Committee will convene a central election committee and a control committee to oversee the direct elections for the Likud list for the Knesset.

141. Both of these committees will be headed by a retired justice, either of the Supreme Court or of a district court, and the number of committee members on each committee will not exceed nine.

Members who presented their candidacy for the Knesset list cannot be members of either of these committees.

141. Direct elections for the Likud Knesset list will be held no later than six months before the general elections for the Knesset.

Article 12: The Likud faction in the Histadrut

142. Likud party members who are members of the Histadrut Klallit (General Federation of Laborers in the Land of Israel") will constitute the ‘Likud faction of the Histadrut'.

143. The faction will act according to the constitution of the party with the revisions as required by each matter.

(b) The faction will be the sole representative of the party in the Histadrut and its branches.

(c) Decisions made by the party's institutions will apply to this faction.

(d) Members of the Likud faction and its institutions will be subordinate to the courts of the party.

(e) The faction will be subject to inspection by the party control committee.

(f) Dismissing or suspending members from the faction will be done as is the practice for all members of the party.

National Security Platform

The Iranian threat

When it comes to Israel's security, the Likud headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, has proved its ability to identify dangers to the country while implementing policies that effectively curb those dangers. Already in 1996, while serving as Prime Minister, Netanyahu addressed the US Congress and warned that the Iranian threat is the greatest threat facing the entire civilized world. Netanyahu urged the members of Congress to confront the Iranian regime at that time; unfortunately, his call was not sufficiently heeded.

Twelve years later, Iran is closer than ever to achieving nuclear capability, a situation that would at once pose an existential threat to the State of Israel and radically change the balance of power in our region, thus endangering the entire world.

An Iran armed with nuclear weaponry would set a historical precedent where an irrational and irresponsible regime would be equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Terror organizations would enjoy nuclear reinforcement, the world's oil sources would be vulnerable to a rapidly increasing threat of takeover, and the world would witness a frightening proliferation of nuclear weapons all over the world.

In addition, Iran is likely to arm the terror cells it controls with nuclear weapons. The chances of deterring the irresponsible Iranian regime from doing this using conventional methods are almost nil.

The danger Israel faces from the unpredictable behavior of the Iranian regime is clear: Iran has declared openly its intention to erase Israel from the global map, Ahmedinijad is well-known as a Holocaust denier though he has vowed to create another Holocaust and to launch missiles against the Jewish state marked "Death to Israel".

Israel is not the only country facing this great threat. While Israel is clearly the primary target of the Iranian missiles, Europe faces the same danger: even now, the Iranians are working on longer-range missiles capable of reaching the nations of the European Union , and within several short years, even the shores of America.

Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons must be the first priority of the next government of Israel, whether this involves rallying world public opinion to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against Iran or preparing for an appropriate military response should all other efforts fail.

Here is where the sharp contrast lies between the Likud and its leader and other parties. Zippy Livni, head of the Kadima Party, has already expressed her position that Iran poses no existential threat to the State of Israel. How can she convince world leaders to support a struggle to prevent Iran from arming with nuclear weapons if she herself is unaware of the danger this poses? How can she take action against existential threats to the State of Israel if she cannot even identify them?

This inability to identify existential threats to the State of Israel is not limited to the case of Iran. When Ehud Barak and Zippy Livni promised that our citizens would be safer after the hasty unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Benjamin Netanyahu warned against those measures. When Benjamin Netanyahu resigned before the Disengagement, he and other Likud members repeatedly maintained that unilateral withdrawal would only reinforce Palestinian terror, imperil Israel, and undermine the chances of achieving real peace. At that time, many citizens supported the Disengagement, and the warning about this step strengthening the presence of Iranian terror cells in those areas to be evacuated were met by ridicule and indifference.

No more unilateral withdrawals

The 4000 rockets fired at the Galilee and Northern Israel during the Second Lebanon War, and the 4000 rockets fired at Israel from Gaza have proven to many people in Israel that the warnings issued by the Likud and its leader against unilateral withdrawals were not empty. Today, after the Disengagement, Hizbullah holds new and more dangerous weapons than it ever possessed. While there is a cease-fire in Gaza, Hamas continues to bring in tremendous quantities of munitions in preparation for the next round of terror. In the final analysis, these withdrawals and the Disengagement have turned an already complicated situation into one that is even more complex and perilous.

There cannot be any unilateral withdrawals in the future. Any area that the IDF evacuates will be taken over at once by the Hamas, and every withdrawal will broadcast a message of weakness and surrender.

The Likud is prepared to make concessions in exchange for peace, such as Menachem Begin did in the peace treaty with Egyptian President Anwar Saadat - concessions in exchange for a true and reliable peace agreement. Only through such arrangements which protect Israel's security can we promote peace with our neighbors.

A Peace that Can Succeed

The current peace negotiations, initiated at Annapolis, with their focus on reaching a final status agreement immediately, are misguided. I do not believe that the Palestinians are prepared today to make the type of historic compromise that would end the conflict. There is no evidence that the Palestinians will accept even the minimal demands that any responsible Israeli leader will make. The Palestinians rejected an offer of sweeping concessions eight years ago, and there is no evidence that their positions on any of the core issues have become more moderate. If anything, faced with a weak Israeli government, their positions have only hardened.

Israel should be focusing its efforts instead on helping Abu Mazen and Fayad improve the day-to-day lives of Palestinians. In particular, we should be trying to help them rapidly develop their economy. While this will not resolve the conflict, it can create an environment in which negotiations would have a better chance of succeeding. A Likud-led government will immediately focus on a serious and sustained effort to fundamentally change the situation on the ground.

Where we draw the lines in any peace agreement

When the times comes for a final-settlement negotiation, the Likud will draw the line in a clear-cut way:

The Likud and its leader will insist that the responsibility for the security of the citizens of the State of Israel remains firmly in the hands of the State and that Israel's right to defend its borders will be secured, a right that is grounded in UN Resolutions 242 and 338.

Responsibility for Palestinian Refugees - belongs with the Arab Countries

A Likud-headed government will not allow thousands, certainly not millions, of Palestinian refugees to enter Israel. Israel will not take any moral responsibility for those refugees, since their very plight today is the result of the fatal decisions made by the Arab world: the decision to declare war on Israel instead of accepting the right of Jews to have a country of their own, and the decision maintained ever since 1967 to deny those Palestinian refugees the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves and continue their lives in Arab countries.

Jerusalem undivided and under Israeli rule

The government headed by the Likud will keep Jerusalem the unified capital of Israel under Israeli sovereignty. For 2000 years Jews from all over the world have yearned to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their historical capital. Jerusalem is the very heart of Jewish culture and we will continue to preserve it as such, while allowing freedom of religion and access to all religions in their holy places in the city.

The worst action that can be taken for peace is dividing Jerusalem. Such a step would create a permanent site of friction that is likely to ignite the entire region. Only an undivided Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty can preserve regional peace.

The War Against Terror

A Likud-lead government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu provides us with proven ability to wage a war against terror. In 1996, after his election, Netanyahu was handed a country reeling from multiple terror attacks. In the three years that he served as Prime minister, only three terror attacks took place. Although this was three too many, the Netanyahu government managed to restore a sense of personal security to the citizenry and to subdue Palestinian terror.

After the {Palestinians launched their massive terror attacks following the failed Camp David talks, Netanyahu contended that Israel must move from enduring a war of attrition to launching a decisive military operation against the Palestinian regime. Over a two year period, the government ignored those recommendations and refused to take any military action. Hundreds of Israelis paid the price of this inaction - with their lives. When action was finally taken in 2002, the result was a dramatic drop in terrorist activity within Israel.

The Likud government under Netanyahu will combat every terror offensive with a clear and decisive response.