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But on a deeper level, Shas' tri-
hundreds of thousands of immigrants
umph dramatically illustrates the
shifted their support from Netanyahu
daunting task facing Barak in his
to Barak, whose election promise was,
quest, as he proclaimed on election
"I will not bow to extremists."
night, for "unity," "brotherhood" and
Writing in the New York Times,
a "healing of the rifts" that have
Barak pollster Stanley Greenberg —
threatened to tear apart Israeli society
one of the cadre of American advisers
They had already torn apart the
who played a large and controversial
Likud government, which was ultimate-
role in shaping and selling both Labor
ly toppled by Netanyahu's agreement,
and Likud — said his exit polls
in the Wye accords last fall, to return
showed Barak had won a majority of
13 percent of the West Bank lands to
the Russian immigrant vote.
Palestinian control. Instead of having
While Netanyahu campaigned
two more years to run the country,
largely on a platform emphasizing
Netanyahu faced an immediate cam-
national security, Barak stressed the
paign not only against Barak but also
need for reopening the peace process
against a new Center Party headed by
— including steps to ger out of south-
Yitzhak Mordechai, the nation's first
ern Lebanon in one year and negotia-
Arab candidate Azmi Beshara and
tions with Syria over returning the
right-winger Ze'ev "Benny" Begin.
Golan Heights. But he also pledged
Although the three candidates
he would address the limping econo-
failed to gain wide support,
their existence forced
Netanyahu to fight on mul-
tiple flanks. Their ultimate
withdrawals from the race
in the closing days paved
ONE Isasxm
the way for Barak's first-
round victory.
Islamic
Labor
Movement
Gesher
Ironically, it was
National
Meimad
Unity Front
Netanyahu's close alliance
Arab
with Shas that, probably
Democratic
Party
more than any other single
factor, brought on his
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crushing defeat.
As the election cam-
paign neared its climax —
and especially after Deri's
sentencing in April and
a I I 1 I MI IF
Shas' vociferous rejection of
NATIONAL
the ruling — it became
DEMOCRATIC
ALLIA2ICE
increasingly clear that
Netanyahu's "coalition of
the non-elites," as opposed
to the "elitism" he ascribed
my — a nine percent unemployment
to Labor's traditional Ashkenazi fol-
rate may have added votes against
lowing, was splitting at the seams.
Netanyahu's stewardship — spending
The vast immigrant community
money on state schools instead of fun-
from the former Soviet Union bridled
neling it to Orthodox ones and resolv-
at finding themselves lumped in
ing the bitterness over who is recog-
Netanyahu's governing coalition with
nized as a Jew.
a convicted felon whose followers
were threatening the judges who had
Those election promises will cer-
tainly undergo searching re-examina-
found him guilty.
Yisrael Ba'Aliyah, the immigrants
tion under the harsh light of the new
Knesset arithmetic.
rights parry led by Natan Sharansky,
brilliantly turned this sentiment to its
Shas' 17 "extremists" are not,
arguably, as easily dismissed as 10
electoral advantage by running a
catchy campaign directed against Shas'
"extremists."
In practical terms, Barak will find it
control of the Interior Ministry.
hard to set up a stable government
Shas officials, Yisrael Ba'Aliyah
claimed, used their power in that min- without either Shas or Likud.
On paper, he can possibly do it.
istry to harass and discriminate against
But the patchwork of agreements with
immigrants whose Jewish status,
tiny factions that this would entail is a
under religious law, was deemed
recipe for grief.
uncertain or unsatisfactory.
Granted, his theoretical ability to
In the month before polling day,
RA'Ard
do without Likud and Shas will lend
him strength in his negotiations with
one or both of these factions as he
moves forward in forming a coalition
government.
Knesset results give Barak several pos-
sible allies to choose from in the 45 days
he now has to form that government:
• The secular, left-wing Meretz
Party will have nine seats, the same as
in the outgoing Knesset
• Yisrael Ba'Aliyah, representing
new Russian immigrants, is estimated
to have won seven seats — also the
same as it had in the outgoing Knesset
• Shinui, a new party that says all
fervently Orthodox parties should be
kept out of the next government, will
have six seats in the new Knesset;
• The Center Party, the new group-
ing headed by Yitzhak Mordechai,
In this, Meretz is following the lead of
another election success story, the
avowedly anti-Orthodox Shinui Party.
Barak needs one or both of these fac-
tions inside his tent. But how can he get
them there and have Shas inside, too?
Within Barak's own party there is a
strong body of opinion opposing a
deal with Shas.
During his victory address at Rabin
Square on Monday night, Barak was
confronted with placards demanding
"Not the haredim" — and the huge
throng picked up that slogan and
shouted it at Barak and his leadership
team.
But Labor Knesset member Yossi
Beilin has left the door open for nego-
tiations with Shas, saying that Labor
had ruled out negotiating with Shas
only if Deri remained at its head.
Barak himself had
pledged not to negotiate
with Deri since the Shas
leader's conviction.
But this obstacle has
been removed because Deri,
NATIONAL
ITISRAEL
a historic victory under his
tiNrrr
BA'ALIYA
belt, has stepped down to
prepare his appeal and
Moledet
Tekuma
allow others to run the
Herut
party in the interim.
The Likud, smarting
from its defeat and reeling
under Netanyahu's swift res-
ignation, will now undergo
a grueling leadership battle.
Ronan
The political persuasion
of the new leader may
prove a determining factor
NATIONAL
in whether Likud is pre-
RELIGIOUS
PARTY
pared to make the doctrinal
compromises necessary for
a partnership with Labor.
Two likely Likud leader-
who dropped out. of the race for
ship contenders, Jerusalem Mayor
prime minister a day before elections,
Ehud Olmert and outgoing Finance
Minister Meir Sheetrit, are seen as rel-
will have six seats
ative pragmatists. Defense Minister
• The Orthodox, Zionist National
Ariel Sharon took over as interim
Religious Party will have five seats,
compared to nine in the outgoing
leader Wednesday.
Knesset
Hard-liner Sharon's leadership bid
If the NRP agrees to enter an oth-
could spell the end of any possible
erwise secularist and left-of-center
alliance with Barak.
coalition, this would give Barak some-
For their part, Barak and his team
thing of the unifying "rainbow effect"
are not prepared for a unity govern-
that he has pledged to strive for.
ment that is, in effect, a government
of paralysis, which was the case for
Nevertheless, his larger goal of rec-
the governments that ruled from
onciliation would seem to dictate a
1984 to 1990.
pact with Shas or Likud — and most
His resounding victory in the vote
pundits believe he will try to include
for prime minister gives him standing
one of them in his coalition.
Each, however, holds major prob-
to insist that any coalition must fol-
low One Israel's lead — a seismic
lems for Barak.
Meretz, a natural Barak ally, has
upheaval after years in which the
Likud coalition partners seemed to be
issued a firm declaration that it would
refuse to join any government with Shas.
writing the agenda. fl
a
5/21
1999
Detroit Jewish News
27