'Not by the sword alone'
In October 2004, Ariel Sharon stunned the Israeli parliament by declaring, 'As one who fought in all of Israel's wars, and learned from personal experience that without proper force, we do not have a chance of surviving in this region which does not show mercy towards the weak, I have also learned from experience that the sword alone cannot decide this bitter dispute in this land.'
This sparked off a bitter row with hardliners, leading to his eventual decision to leave the Likud in November 2005 and form his own party.
Image: Ariel Sharon waves to Likud supporters after winning the 2003 election. Former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Sharon's rival in Likud, is on his right.
Also See: 'Relations with Israel of tremendous significance'