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May 21, 1999/6 Sivan 5759, Vol. 51, No.34
Barak's next missionEditorialPublic jubilation over this week's landslide election of Ehud Barak bears witness to Israelis' hopes that the prime minister-elect will revive the opportunity for peace that was lost when an assassin gunned down Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.Barak created great expectations during the campaign, and in the few days since his victory, has made clear that he intends to deliver on his promises. "I, as (Yitzhak Rabin), am committed to security and peace for Israel, to a unified Jerusalem, to a concerted struggle against terror," he told well-wishers the day after the elections. The retired army chief of staff appears to have the credentials to make good on his commitment. He knows that the Jewish state's security needs are of foremost concern in peace negotiations, and that concessions can be considered only when they address those needs. But he also realizes the need to negotiate on practical terms - rather than the politics and emotions that repeatedly have stalemated the process. Barak, for example, maintains a tough stand on keeping Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital, but recognizes the inevitability of a Palestinian state in some form. A decisive endorsement by 56 percent of the electorate gives Barak a public mandate to change the policies of current premier Benjamin Netanyahu. It does not mean, however, an end to divisiveness in Israel. On the contrary, both Barak's Labor Party and Netanyahu's Likud Party have lost seats in the new Knesset, and small parties with controversial agendas will continue to make it difficult to reach consensus. Barak's first test comes now, as he attempts to form the political coalition needed to turn his promises into reality. As it has proved in 51 years as a thriving democracy, Israel has no qualms about vigorously debating differences. Where Netanyahu fell short in bringing factions together for the good of the whole, the hope is that Barak can heal the rifts. The world will be watching to see if Barak can truly pick up where Rabin left off. |
