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February 9, 2001/Shevet 16, 5761, Vol. 53, No.19
Voters choose 'lesser evil'
AVI MACHLIS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - For a day, at least, Revital Ovadia represented the average Israeli.
A 25-year-old civil servant in the Interior Ministry, Ovadia didn't like either of the two candidates in Israel's election for prime minister Feb. 6 - but ultimately decided that Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon was the lesser of two evils.
"It was a harder decision than usual," said Ovadia, who has voted Likud in the past but hesitated before casting her vote for Sharon at a polling station in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Katamon.
Sharon's past as the defense minister who led Israel's controversial 1982 invasion of Lebanon, beginning an 18-year military occupation, was hardly the issue at the polling stations.
In an election notable for its ennui despite its potentially fateful consequences for the peace process, incumbent Prime Minister Ehud Barak appeared to have all but conceded the race to Sharon just hours after the polls opened.
The low-key atmosphere during this first Israeli election exclusively for the premiership contrasted sharply with the race that brought Barak to power 19 months ago, when activists slugged it out on the streets down to the very end.
One reason for the lackluster campaign was that little drama remained by election day, after weeks of polls had predicted a landslide victory for Sharon.
Yet the numbers did not mean that voters who dropped Sharon's name into the ballot box were overly excited about the imminent change in power. Many said they were choosing the less bad of two undesirable candidates.
Barak supporters were likewise ambivalent.
Yehuda Yaeger considered casting a blank ballot before he ultimately decided to vote for Barak - but not because he particularly liked him.
Many voters were intent on driving Barak from office for failing to deliver on his promises of comprehensive peace, and offering extensive concessions to the Palestinians that were answered with protracted violence.
"I could have supported the Camp David proposals," said maintenance manager Meir Asor, 40, referring to the U.S.-sponsored summit in July. "But I am not happy with Barak for many reasons. The whole peace process just didn't work, and now what we need is a strong, decisive leader like Sharon."
While Barak's concessions did not bring peace, Asor believes Sharon is capable of delivering peace - even though he has said he will offer the Palestinians far less than they demand.
Kay Weinberger, a British-born director of a charitable foundation, was more worried by Israelis' willingness to vote for Sharon.
"I'm surprised Israelis have such short memories," she said after voting for Barak. "The fact that a man who was condemned so heavily for his role in the Lebanon war is now headed to be the leader of this country is a sad reflection of people's political savvy and their collective political memory."
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