Ehud Barak has acknowledged defeat in the Israeli prime ministerial elections. He has telephoned his right-wing challenger, Ariel Sharon, to congratulate him on his victory. An exit poll gives the Likhud leader 60% of the vote, 20% ahead of Mr Barak. An official result is expected around midnight. Mr Sharon has called on Mr Barak to join him in a national unity government.
Mr Barak said a short while ago that such a government should not be ruled out. Election officials said that there was a record low turnout of 62% in today's election. Reacting to the outcome, the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said that he respects Israel's election decision and hopes the peace process will continue. The European Union has congratulated Mr Sharon on his victory and called on him to continue efforts to establish a just and lasting peace with the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, there were violent disturbances in the West Bank where Palestinians called a day of rage against the prospect of a Sharon victory. As he cast his own ballot near Tel Aviv, Mr Barak, the now defeated Prime Minister, had claimed that voters were crossing over to him in tens of thousands as they came to see what the real alternative was to his leadership. Mr Barak warned that Sharon could see Israel embroiled in war with Palestinians or nearby Arab states. Many of his supporters expressed disappointment in Mr Barak’s ability to quell the recent violence and his failure to broker a peace deal.
Mr Sharon pledged to end violence in the region and take a hard line against the Palestinians. This resolution has clearly worked. Just a few months ago 72-year-old Sharon chances for prime minister were written off due to his age and the controversy which surrounds him. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters, totalling almost 400,000, are expected to vote en masse for Sharon. They are disillusioned with, what they call, Barak’s slide towards secularism. Many Israeli-Arabs are expected to boycott the poll and police have been deployed to prevent voter intimidation.
