Word: shamir
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Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was virtually catatonic as he gazed at the TV screen, learning for the first time the results of exit polls that accurately predicted his Likud party's drubbing in national elections last week. The rival Labor Party took 44 of the 120 Knesset seats (vs. 39 in the previous parliament), Likud a pitiful 32 (vs. 40) -- its worst performance since the party's first outing, in 1973. The poor showing prompted Shamir to announce he would retire from politics soon, setting the stage for a fierce battle for the Likud leadership. One contender, Defense Minister Moshe...
Rabin promises to slow the growth of settlements, to increase the pace of peace talks with the Palestinians and to repair the damage Shamir's hawkish policies did to relations with the U.S. -- all easier said than done. Rabin also pledges to rearrange the nation's priorities, to focus on domestic problems rather than foreign policy issues. This emphasis on internal matters, though popular, is ironic. When Rabin was Prime Minister from 1974 to 1977, he was notorious for doing the opposite. (See related story on page...
Arabs are ecstatic. Washington is pleased. Half, at least, of Israel is cheering. Compared with the alternative of a Shamir victory, Labor's electoral triumph is such good news for the Middle East peace process that deflating expectations almost seems churlish. Nevertheless, it is clear that attaining a comprehensive peace will be no romp in the garden for Labor leader Yitzhak Rabin when he becomes Prime Minister, even though his promise to accelerate negotiations brings a real commitment -- always lacking in Shamir -- to address the substance of a settlement...
Still, the ebullient mood in most capitals reflects optimism that Rabin can make a difference. Despite his record -- or perhaps because of it -- he may be far more able than Shamir to come to terms with the Arabs. He has pledged not only to grant substantial autonomy to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza in the immediate future, but also to give back at least part of the land itself one day. And because of his demonstrated toughness, he is trusted by his compatriots to make a deal that will not sell Israel...
...result may be another national-unity government, with Labor and the Likud sharing power, as they have already done twice in the past, after tight elections in 1984 and 1988. With Labor likely to be the larger grouping, Rabin may replace Shamir as Prime Minister. But the two men's policies are so similar that such a prospect elicits little excitement. No wonder many voters are more interested in knowing whether Victoria, the Caracas fashion mogul, will discover that her new model, Crystal, is actually the daughter she conceived with a priest-in-training and gave up for adoption long...