No doubt many Jews both in Israel and the United States are frustrated that Tuesday’s election offers little hope of any real change in Israel. If the polls are correct, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will be able to once again assemble a government.
Quite possibly Sharon might be the best person for the job — for at least two reasons.
First, there is no challenger with an articulated vision for achieving a breakthrough with the Palestinians.
And second, there is no reason to believe the Palestinians are any more ready to negotiate peace than they were two years ago when they launched the intifada.
The Labor Party challenged Sharon, touting a pro-peace platform, but offered few concrete proposals on how to proceed. Many said the campaign by Labor head Amram Mitzna bore too close a resemblance to that of former Labor Prime Minister Ehud Barak. And memories are too fresh of Barak’s abortive attempts to negotiate a peace deal.
What clearly was missing in this election campaign was a young, charismatic leader with some new ideas on how to deal with all of Israel’s pressing problems, including its faltering economy.
But maybe if there is such a person, he or she chose to stay in the wings, deciding the climate wasn’t right in this election. There is no indication the Israeli public is ready to elect someone who is unproven.
Meanwhile, if the polls are correct, Sharon will form another government in a matter of weeks. But how stable that government is, and whether it can survive more than a few months, is questionable.
The one factor to watch is whether Sharon in the twilight of his life can write a new legacy for himself by inking a better deal with the Palestinians than anyone thought possible.
Stay tuned.