Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 December 2000 — Page 16
December 20. 2000 NAT 11
Israel: As I See It New election puzzles
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By SAMSON KRUPNICK Continued violence was rapidly wearing down Israeli patience with a prime minister who followed a restraint policy forced upon the Israel
Defense Forces. Mounting civilian and army casualties brought the political situation to a sudden climax. Prime Minister Ehud Barak continued to seek a breakthrough from an adamant Yasser Arafat determined to create his Palestine State with Jerusalem as its capital through violence. Arafat wants to be a hero emerging as president and victor in a battle for freedom from a foreign occupying force. There is nothing that Barak can give Arafat that could change his approach. The last thing that he wants is the granting of his state by an Israel peace treaty. Barak tried everything, even using the two "villains of Oslo," Ministers Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin, joined by a new villain, Minister Shlomo Ben Ami (now on a "secret mission" in Paris and in Morocco to bring back something that would be called an "agreement," apparently to no avail.) Stymied by a Government of but 25 percent (30 out of 120 Knesset Members) and failing to move ahead in any constructive direction, Barak came up with a bonanza. He would come directly to the electorate who had backed him a year and a half previously. If he could present a "ben Ami agreement," so much the better. Otherwise, he would pledge a peace program to end violence whatever that might be by separation of the two peoples. In a dramatic evening TV appearance to address the nation he announced his resignation as prime minister. He was proud of his record. He brought the boys home from south Lebanon (the IDF sneaking out at night, leaving much equipment behind and
abandoning our allies of 18 years, the South Lebanese Army); he has produced over 115,(KX). new jobs (the unemployment rate is at the highest) and the economy is at its top level (Dun and Bradstreet warned of a sharp decline in the economy). As to the "peace program," he will leave 80 percent of the settlers where they are, and there will be "a greater Jerusalem" (the Yossi Beilin description of a divided Jerusalem). With this program he hopes to win approval by the majority who backed him in the previous election The next morning he rushed to President Moshe Katzav and presented his res-
ignation, effective in 48 hours. In the interim Barak acts solely as a caretaker during the 60 days prior to the election on Feb. 6,2001, of a prime minister. What inspired this sudden rush for Barak to resign and to seek public sup-
port at this juncture? Actually within his own One Israel Party there were opponents eager to replace Barak, including Peres, Beilin, Ramon and Burg. But what worried Barak most was the sudden prospect of having Binyamin Netanyahu as his opponent in the coming elections. Israeli politicians have an avid love for public opinion polls and rely heavily upon them. The Smith highly regarded polls showed Barak at 26 percent of the vote and Netanyahu, who was not even a declared candidate, at 41 percent. After consulting the artists of "dirty tricks," Peres, Beilin and others, Barak took this
action to eliminate Netanyahu from the contest because he was not a Knesset member as required to serve as prime minister. Another "advantage" is that there presumably would be no necessity to have Knesset membership elec-
There is nothing that Barak can give Arafat that could change his approach. The last thing that he wants is the granting of his state by an Israel peace treaty. Barak tried everything, even using the two "villains of Oslo," Ministers Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin, joined by a new villain, Minister Shlomo Ben Ami (now on a "secret mission" in Paris and in Morocco to bring back something that would be called an "agreement," apparently to no avail) Stymied by a Government of but 25 percent (30 out of 120 Knesset Members) and failing to move ahead in any constructive direction, Barak came up with a bonanza. He would come directly to the electorate who had backed him a year and a half previously. If he could present a "ben Ami agreement," so much the better. Otherwise, he would pledge a peace program to end violence whatever that might be by separation of the two peoples.
tions, but simply the single prime minister election. A first reading had already been passed with over 61 votes to dissolve the Knesset, but two more readings are required to pass this resolution. In the interim, polls indicate increases for Likud, for the National Religious Party and a reduction for One Israel and for Shas now with 17 Knesset Members, the third largest party. Hence there are second thoughts by Shas and others about dissolving the present Knesset. After a huge hue and cry about this deceit and undemocratic action of Barak, a bill was introduced in the Knesset permitting a candidate for prime minister who is not a Knesset member (the Netanyahu law). Netanyahu, upon a return from the United States at a press conference announced his candidacy to be prime minister and head of the Likud Party. However his desire is that there be general
elections as well. Otherwise, any new prime minister will find himself extremely limited in effecting policies designed to solve the basic problems and the serious crisis facing the country at this stage. The candidacy of Netanyahu was greeted with insults and derision by leftist Meretz leaders with its bitter Yossi Sarid calling him a "charlatan and liar." Netanyahu ignored these remarks and rolled up his sleeves to face challenges within the Likud and to make every effort to have the key Shas party support Knesset dissolution. While the Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef had called Barak a "blind fox," he was not ready to accept a possible loss in Knesset membership. These are part of the election puzzles facing the country at this most critical period. Samson Krupnick may be reached at 22 Pinsker, Jerusalem 92228, Israel) e-mail [email protected]
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