Netanyahu unseats Peres in Israeli election
Likud victory may alter peace process
May 31, 1996
Web posted at: 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu narrowly defeated Prime Minister Shimon Peres Friday in an election that may alter the course of Israel and the Middle East peace process.
Netanyahu, who becomes the prime minister-elect with far less than a mandate, ousted Peres, head of the Labor Party, by fewer than 30,000 votes, a margin of less than 1 percent.
The final results, announced Friday, by the Israeli Election Committee gave Likud Party leader Netanyahu 50.49 percent of the vote compared with Peres' 49.51 percent.
Official results, which are expected to confirm Netanyahu's win, will be tallied and announced next week.
In this, the first year Israelis elected a prime minister by direct national vote, the race was marked by deep divisions over the future of the Middle East peace process.
Peres stands firm for peace
Peres, an architect of peace agreements with the Palestinians and Israel's neighboring Arab states, had vowed to continue the peace initiative, while Netanyahu warned that Israel has been too conciliatory in negotiations with Arabs.
After receiving word of his defeat, Peres said resolutely, "I shall continue to work for peace wherever I shall be." (86K AIFF or WAV sound)
Netanyahu made no official statement but, after hearing the news, he waved to supporters outside his home and told them the country is in good hands. Likud party supporters celebrated in the streets. (1MB QuickTime movie of celebrations after election)
The prime minister-elect now has 45 days to form a coalition government. Should he fail to do so, a new special election for prime minister would be held.
Analysts say Netanyahu will have no trouble mustering the 61 supporters he needs in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's national assembly.
This, despite Likud Party losses in the Knesset. According to results announced Friday by the election committee, Likud dropped eight seats to 32. Some of those seats however were picked up by Israel's right-leaning religious parties who won unprecedented gains in the Knesset.
Peres' Labor Party also lost ground, dropping 10 seats to 34.
U.S. strives for middle ground
U.S. President Bill Clinton telephoned Netanyahu Friday to congratulate him on his apparent victory. He also spoke with Peres by phone and expressed his personal sadness over Peres' apparent defeat.
Netanyahu reportedly told Clinton his new government would be prepared to continue the U.S.-led peace process. He also said he wanted to maintain the rock-solid relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
Clinton has made clear Netanyahu is welcome to come to the U.S. where he has many friends. U.S. officials, who have been instrumental in crafting peace agreements between Israelis and Arab states, have been trying to assure their Arab counterparts that Netanyahu's win does not necessarily mean an end to the peace process.
Palestinians worry about future
But some were not easily assured. Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat who attended noon prayers at a Gaza City mosque, refused to comment on the elections. His cabinet was to meet Friday to discuss the outcome of the Israeli elections.
Other Palestinians openly expressed their fears. Khalil Tafakji, an expert on Jewish settlement in the West Bank warned that the Israelis would try to expand their settlements under a Netanyahu administration.
"The Likud and its allies believe in the idea of the greater 'Land of Israel' .. and will now have the power to implement it," he said.
Correspondents Christiane Amanpour, Wolf Blitzer, Jerrold Kessel and Brent Sadler, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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- Netanyahu and peace
- A look at Benjamin Netanyahu
- Netanyahu's stand on the issues
- CNNfn - Investors watching Israeli elections - May 30, 1996
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