The World - News from July 7, 1988

Delegates of Israel’s right-wing Herut Party chose top candidates for November’s election, and former Defense Minister Ariel Sharon edged out Deputy Prime Minister David Levy, who was backed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. Police guarded the convention site, apparently to prevent clashes among Herut’s three camps, headed by Sharon, Levy and Cabinet Minister Moshe Arens. A convention two years ago was aborted after fistfights broke out between party members. More than 2,000 party delegates chose among 35 candidates for the second through eighth slots on the party slate. First place is reserved for Shamir, leader of Herut, the senior partner in the Likud Bloc. Likud and its main rival, the centrist Labor Alignment, are neck and neck in the latest polls.