42 and were thus exempt from paying the mortal price of the war." Thus the precedent, at least, is clear. Another oft- heard claim against the le- gitimacy of pursuing the present peace policy is that regardless of the outcome of the elections, the Rabin gov- ernment no longer com- mands a majority among "the people." It should be noted that practically everyone in Is- rael, in politics and without, is forever speaking in the name of "the people." Until now, the will of the people has only been deter- mined by national elections. Indeed, ever since the sign- ing of the Oslo accords, the opposition has been calling for "elections now." But it has failed, despite a slew of no-confidence mo- tions, to bring the govern- ment down. And given that weakness, it also cannot muster enough parliamen- tary support to force a referendum on the govern- ment before the negotia- tions on the Interim Agreement proceed any fur- ther (as representatives of the settlers demanded of were running neck and neck (41 Mr. Rabin last week). percent each), with Mr. Rabin So for the present, only pub- leading Mr. Netanyahu by eight lic opinion polls give an indica- points if other candidates were tion of what "the people" really included in the race. want. It's therefore interesting to Which brings us back to what note that a recent survey, con- is, not what might be. The one ducted by Dr. Mina Tsemach, conclusion that can safely be ven- yielded moot results. Taken at tured from these findings is that the height of the settlers' demon- for all the philosophizing about strations, it showed that if elec- its "right" to rule, the durability tions were held now, Labor, of the Rabin government will be Meretz, and the Arab parties decided not on the highways or would win only 52 of the 61 seats on the hilltops of Judea and needed for a parliamentary ma- Samaria but in the Knesset. And jority. that's a place where But the Likud and "the votes are count- (Above) An irate the smaller parties on ed, not estimated," as the right would still driver's rage explodes Mr. Peres recently put trail them with a mere as he grabs the throat it. 50. Eight seats would of a right-wing Israeli Thus, the biggest demonstrator. The be won by the ultra-Or- question today is driver was one of thodox parties (which whether the Interim thousands stuck in could go, in whole or in traffic in more than 80 Agreement will be part, to either camp). locations throughout brought before the And the rest of the 10 Israel on Aug. 8. Knesset at all. The seats would be divided government is not re- among a collection of quired by law to do so (though it small parties (David Levy, the is the accepted practice), and Mr. Third Way, and an immigrant Rabin has not yet made up his list) that have yet to be estab- mind on this point. But in the age lished, may never materialize, of party primaries, he probably and whose stand on the peace will come under pressure from process — and tactics in coalition Labor deputies who will not want bargaining — can only be to be tainted by a decision that guessed at today. appears undemocratic or even All in all, the chances of the patently unfair. right look more promising. But The one consolation is that as everyone in politics knows, the whatever happens now is likely public is fickle. Last winter, after to happen quickly. The American the Dizengoff bus bombing and government has proposed that a the massacre at Bet Lid, Mr. Ne- signing ceremony be held in tanyahu was running far ahead Washington on Sept. 6. At least of Mr. Rabin in the polls. Yet last the suspense about whether the week, despite the bus bombing in agreement will be brought before Ramat Gan and the settlers' on- and passed by the Knesset, will going demonstrations, the two be over before long. El Sending A Message West Bank militants are creating surprisingly favorable impressions across the Green Line. missioned at the start of August by Yediot Aharonot, the country's largest daily newspaper, found that 52 percent of Israelis sided with the settlers — either in all their protests or just in their le- gal ones — while 46 percent op- posed them. In a poll for Ma'ariv, the country's No. 2 newspaper, 54 percent were against dis- mantling the settlers' impromp- LARRY EIERFNER ISRAEL CORRESPONDENT tu, illegal mini-encampments set neers. This gets on people's up recently on a few West Bank Efrat hills, while only 31 percent fa- he conventional wis- nerves. "Ninety percent of the pro- vored pulling them down. dom in Israel, articu- (On Sunday at the encamp- lated by the testers are from the 'knitted kip- and pa,' or religious Zionist, sector ment near Beit El, three Beit El government much of the news me- of the population," Mr. Dankner settlers were arrested on suspi- dia, is that the West continued. "The majority of the cion of shooting to death a Pales- Bank settlers' cam- Israeli people are not with them." • tinian in a crowd that had swept The militant wing of the set- through the outpost, burning paign of civil disobedience has turned off the majority of Israelis tlers and their supporters — holy books and other property. across the Green Line, or, at best, those who are fighting the army The settlers were taken to a and police force up and down hills Jerusalem police station, and left them indifferent. "Most Israelis haven't felt con- in the West Bank, cursing and some 200 demonstrators de- nected to the settlers for a long screaming at police and soldiers manding their release got into a time," said Amnon Dankner, a as they are dragged off at demon- violent confrontation with police.) columnist for the Ha'aretz news- strations, the thousands who paper and panelist on the TV talk burned tires and blocked 80 ma- Honking For Support jor intersections in the country The settlers' stand is taking show "Popolitica." `The settlers caused this alien- during evening rush hour on place during the time of year ation because they violate the Aug. 8 — definitely are creating when hundreds of thousands of law, and are ready to clash with a strong impression across the Israelis stream into Ben-Guri- the army. Israelis find this hard Green Line. It might be assumed on Airport and fly off for vaca- to take. Secondly, the settlers' ar- that their radical actions are leav- tions abroad. These masses of rogance leaves the impression ing the mainstream of the coun- vacationers are thought to rep- among the secular majority of Is- try's bourgeois population cold. resent the non-ideological ma- raelis that they think they're on But this assumption might be jority of Israelis, the ones who supposedly have no patience for a mission from God, that they are wrong. A public opinion survey corn- the settlers' provocative, disrup- the only real Jews, the only pio-