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Israel's political make-over
- - - - - - - - - - - - May 18, 1999 |
It was an odd twist for two longtime friends who had once served together (Barak as Netanyahu's commander) in the elite Sayeret Matkal anti-terror force that in 1972 safely liberated 92 hostages on a Sabena airliner that had been hijacked by Palestinians, and in the process became the stuff of Israeli myth. Typically, victory margins in Israeli elections are slim. But in aa historical shift, Barak pulled in 56 percent of the vote with Netanyahu trailing at 43.9 percent -- a 12-percent lead that obviated the need for a runoff vote. The election turned out to be referendum on both Netanyahu and his Likud Party, which lost nearly a third of its 32 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament. Barak's Labor Party did not gain enough votes to form a majority, but enough centrist and leftist parties scored seats to enable the incoming prime minister to create a center-left coalition. Barak now has 45 days to patch together a government, and speculation is rife that he will build Israel's first ruling secular coalition, which would bring about profound social changes after years of conservative religious rule. Salon News spoke to observers of Israeli politics on the causes of Netanyahu's crushing defeat, what to expect from Barak and how the elections will effect the flagging Middle East peace process. | ||
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