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Sharon wins vote on a day marred by terrorism

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, November 29, 2002

JERUSALEM Ñ Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won more than 55 percent of the vote today in the race against two other candidates for Likud leadership. But his victory was overshadowed by terrorist attacks on Isaelis in Kenya and at a polling station in northern Israel.

Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu obtained 40 percent and Moshe Feiglin won three percent. Turnout was reported at 46 percent of eligible voters, Middle East Newsline reported.

Sharon said that given recent events, there was no cause for celebration. His acceptance speech began with a moment of silence for the dead.

On Thursday, the ruling Fatah movement led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat killed six people and injured 30 in a shooting attack on a polling station during elections for the leadership of Israel's Likud Party.

At least two Fatah attackers, armed with submachine guns and grenades, drove to the northern town of Bet Shean. They entered the city's Likud Party branch and sprayed gunfire toward those inside. Three of the wounded were the sons of former Foreign Minister David Levy, a longtime leader in the party.

The Fatah gunmen were killed by fire from Israeli forces.

The Fatah-controlled Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Aqsa said the strike was in revenge for the Israeli assassination of the commanders of Fatah and Hamas in the northern West Bank city Jenin on late Tuesday. The two Fatah gunmen were identified as brothers from a village north of Jenin.

Later, the Palestinian news agency Wafa disavowed the attack. The news agency cited a series of suicide missions over the last week, calling them destructive to Palestinian interests.

Israeli officials said the attack marked an attempt by Arafat to influence Israel's elections. Arafat and his aides have expressed support for Labor Party candidate for prime minister Amram Mitzna in elections scheduled for Jan. 28.

Officials said Israel's security forces have been stretched to the limit by recent Palestinian attacks and threats of additional strikes.

Officials said both the military and police have exhausted their manpower in an effort to prevent a wave of Palestinian suicide missions during the current Israeli election campaign. They said they cannot add reinforcements without a mobilization of reserve units, a measure the government has sought to avoid.

"We have stretched the rope to the limit," an official said.

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