Word: netanyahu
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...BENJAMIN NETANYAHU Barak resigns so special election may prevent Bibi's running. David Boies must have been in on this...
...most notable thing about this election will be the man who can't run in it--former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Bibi" has been preparing for a tilt at Barak since he was cleared of corruption charges in the fall. If the Knesset had been able to call general elections, as it was in the process of doing, Netanyahu could have challenged Likud leader Ariel Sharon for the right-wing spot to oppose Barak...
Polls show that Netanyahu would have trounced Barak. But Israeli election law mandates that in a special election, only members of the Knesset can run. That gives hope to Barak, who has a much better chance of beating the old warhorse Sharon. The short election cycle also makes it less likely that the rebellious left of Barak's Labor Party will oust him in favor of one of his critics, such as Knesset speaker Avraham Burg. "It's the only way for Barak to survive, because he knocks Netanyahu out," says Reuven Chazan, a Hebrew University political scientist...
...Palestinian leadership reconciling itself to having to deal with Netanyahu once again...
...harder on Palestinians doesn't solve the problem, and ultimately they'll be back at the peace table. And Israel's fractious and complicated parliamentary system allows a prime minister to win by a landslide but even then struggle to maintain a workable majority government (as Barak did). Now, Netanyahu looks set to return to the same booby-trapped office. But even having to govern via a traditionally fractious Israeli coalition government won't stop Netanyahu from keeping his foot firmly jammed on the brake of the peace process. Or at least, proceeding only in Bibi steps...