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February 9, 2001/Shevet 16, 5761, Vol. 53, No.19
People's choiceEditorial"The voters have spoken, and I respect their democratic decision," conceded Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak after being roundly defeated in this week's elections.By overwhelming numbers, Israeli voters rejected Barak and endorsed his successor, Gen. Ariel Sharon. The lowest voter turnout in Israel's history may mean that Sharon won simply by default, elected by an Israeli public too tired, too frustrated and too confused either to go to the polls or to marshal resistance to what many viewed as a foregone conclusion. As the "situation" in Israel dragged into its fifth long month, with a mounting human toll, the prevailing sentiment was that anything is better than Barak. But even for those demoralized by the Sharon victory, there was some satisfaction in Israel's propensity for an orderly transition of power, a rarity in the incendiary region. This was an election, after all, a "democratic decision," not a coup. And Sharon's reputation as a tough soldier may yet prove to be his vindication. He clearly appeals to the rightists, the religious and the Russians, and may be attractive to disaffected centrists as well. It remains to be seen whether that will be enough for him to form a viable coalition, if he fails to garner Labor support. Too, even avowed peaceniks, tired of the violence and yearning for normalcy, may warm to Sharon's redefinition of peace, turning away from the idyllic vision of his predecessors to a hard-nosed view of coexistence. A welcome first step is Sharon's insistence that he will not negotiate with the Palestinians while violence, or the incitement to violence, continues. Further, his aversion to arbitrary timetables that may feed unrealistic expectations, and his backtracking to a strategy of interim small steps rather than pushing for a comprehensive final agreement, may prove effective. Finally, there is the comfort that if Sharon is unequal to the daunting challenges ahead, there will always be another election. After all, Israel is Israel. |
