OPINION
'
Unique Precedents
/-KENNETH W. STEIN
Special To The Jewish News
I
srael's election campaign for the
15th Knesset and prime minis-
ter is like none other in Israel's
history. Barring an unlikely war
with the Arab world or some heinous
physical violence perpetrated against
--Jsraelis, the dominant election issue
will not be the Arab-Israeli peace
process. The election will be a referen-
dum on economic promises not kept,
wrenching domestic and social issues,
the incumbent prime minister's style,
and an across-the-board decline in for-
eign relations. There are other firsts.
Tones and pace for managing rela-
tions with the Arab world differ, but
Likud, Labor and centrist party lead-
ers reflect similar basic views: the
West Bank and Gaza will be shared
with the Palestinians, a way needs to
be found to leave southern Lebanon
quickly, negotiations with Syria
should be restarted, and Israel must
retain security control over Jerusalem
as
an undivided city.
\,
Several months prior to Israel's last
,)
election, four bombs were exploded
by Palestinian extremists. They severe-
ly hurt the election chances of Shi-
mon Peres, the incumbent Labor
Party prime minister. So far, neither
the Palestinian community nor other
Arab states have done or said much to
influence Israeli voters. Arafat sud-
denly has grown speechless about
declaring an independent state on
May 4, 1999. He does not want to
create anxiety among Israeli voters,
though he may not be able to control
an outbreak of violence or attacks
against Israelis. In the days and
months prior to the 1988, 1992 and
1996 Israeli elections, when such
dreadful acts occurred, the incumbent
in office was blamed.
Approximately 4.5 million Israelis
are eligible to vote in the May 17
elections. Again, as they did for the
first time in the 1996 elections, Israeli
voters will cast separate ballots for
prime minister and for their favorite
political party list. For example, it is
possible for someone to vote for the
\ , Labor Party but also vote for Bibi
/-'
Netanyahu as prime minister.
All polls indicate that none of the
major party candidates for prime
minister will receive the absolute
majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Therefore, this will likely be Israel's
first election where the parliamentary
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Detroit Jewish News
31