Knesset (Parliament) member Uzi Landau withdrew from the race for Likud leadership and threw his support behind Benjamin Netanyahu. “The Likud is currently in crisis, the largest in our history,” Landau said. He also called for all fellow Likud members to support Netanyahu, saying that “This is the only way to establish a united and strong team.” Landau and Netanyahu were some of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s biggest opponents in the plan to remove Israeli towns and military presence from the Gaza Strip. The other Likud candidates, headed by Netanyahu, have recently been exerting heavy pressure on Landau in a bid to persuade him to quit and strengthen Netanyahu, who is leading in the polls.