ina ▁Sol od kin ▁as ▁Deput y ▁Minister ▁of ▁Im migr ant ▁Abs or ption ). ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁elections , ▁left - wing ers ▁Roman ▁Bron f man ▁and ▁Alexander ▁T z ink er ▁left ▁the ▁party ▁and ▁formed ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Cho ice ▁fa ction . ▁Y is rael ▁Ba A li y ah ▁left ▁the ▁government ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁suggestions ▁that ▁Bar ak ' s ▁neg iot ations ▁with ▁the ▁Palest ini ans ▁would ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁division ▁of ▁Jerusalem . ▁ ▁After ▁A riel ▁Sh aron ▁won ▁a ▁special ▁election ▁for ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁the ▁party ▁joined ▁his ▁new ▁government , ▁and ▁was ▁again ▁given ▁one ▁minister ial ▁post ▁( Sh ar ans ky ▁as ▁Minister ▁of ▁H ous ing ▁and ▁Const ruction ) ▁and ▁one ▁deput y ▁position ▁( Ed el stein ▁as ▁Deput y ▁Im migr ant ▁Abs or ption ▁Minister ). ▁In ▁addition , ▁Sh ar ans ky ▁was ▁appointed ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁elections , ▁the ▁party ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁just ▁two ▁seats . ▁Sh ar ans ky ▁res igned ▁from ▁the ▁K ness et , ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Ed el stein . ▁However , ▁he ▁remained ▁party ▁chairman , ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁merge ▁it ▁into ▁L ik ud ▁( which ▁had ▁won ▁the ▁election ▁with ▁a