|
|
Deutsch
Politik
Geschichte
Kunst
Film
Musik
Lebensart
Reisen |
| Israel after the
2003-elections Article added on June 2, 2003 Israeli voters decided at the end of January 2003 that the Likud would become Israel's leading party with a share of 29.4% of the votes. The Likud doubled its number of seats in the Knesset from 19 to 38. Labour lost 7 of its 26 members in parliament. The populist and anti-Orthodox Shinui party rose from 6 to 15 seats. The Orthodox Shas party lost 6 of its 17 seats. The political landscape changed dramatically and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ended up in February 2003 with what had been considered impossible prior to the elections: a center-right to right-wing coalition consisting of the Likud, the hawkish National Religious Party (NRP), the anti-Orthodox Shinui and others. The big loser was Labour. The opportunistic move by Minister of Defense Benjamin Ben-Eliezer to leave the coalition was not rewarded by the voters. Labour had for too long supported the government led by Sharon, and Ben-Eliezer had acted as Sharon's willing executioner and even instigator of doubtful policies. Labour's new and credible leader Amram Mitzna - a former general as many other leading Israeli politicians - had formulated an alternative policy regarding the "occupied territories". But voters punished him severely with the party's worst electoral result ever. Despite this fact, Mitzna stood by his word after the election and firmly refused a new coalition with the Likud. But he could not maintain himself at the head of his party for long. He came from nowhere and was never accepted by the old Labour leaders who resented the loss of (ministerial) power. In early May 2003, Mitzna stepped down as party leader. The "irony" of history may make Ariel Sharon the man who (like Rabin before) reaches out his hand to the Palestinians. US President George W. Bush made it clear that he was serious about bringing peace to the Middle East. Sharon, who at first seemed to think that he could ignore the "roadmap", was forced to take it seriously too. After Mahmoud Abbas alias Abu Mazen, the PLO secretary general and a founding member of Fatah, became the Palestinian Authority's prime minister, Sharon had no excuse anymore to refuse talks with the Palestinians. Abbas fully accepted the roadmap, adopted in December 2002, but only published on April 30, after Abbas and his government were sworn in; the US had insisted on the reform of the Palestinian leadership beforehand. On May 17, 2003 Sharon and Abbas met for the first time. Early the following morning, suicide attackers killed several Israelis. On May 13, 2003, Sharon had still dismissed as not "on the horizon" any change of Israel's settlement policy. But in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on May 27, he called the new situation after the war against Iraq "an opportunity with the Palestinians we can't miss". In other words, even suicide attacks by terrorists (who, by definition, are not controllable by the Palestinian or any other prime minister), seem no longer an excuse for serious negotiations. The Israeli leaders still have serious security concerns, but the deadlock is broken. By the way, with the end of Saddam Hussein's regime, families of Palestinian terrorists do not get a $25,000 reward after a "successful" suicide attack anymore. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was not held responsible by his voters for the rise in terror activities against Israel. Nor did the sharpening of the economic crisis erode voter confidence. Israel is in its worst recession in 55 years. In 2002 GDP fell 1.1%. The February deficit was the highest in the country's history. Public spending reached 55% of GDP. Last but not least, unemployment in 2002 was 10.3%. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Sharon stressed that the acceptance of the peace plan would not only bring security, but also economic benefits to Israel. Buy Jewish sheet music. |
The official final results of elections to the 16th Knesset, January 2003
|
|
|
Deutsch
Politik
Geschichte
Kunst
Film
Musik
Lebensart
Reisen |