Arabs pessimistic after Israeli election deadlock

Dubai: The Arab world reacted to Israel's indecisive election on Wednesday with renewed pessimism for Middle East peace. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's Kadima party won 28 seats in the 120-seat parliament, falling short of a majority, while ex-premier Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party received 27 seats.

"At this point, any prospect of a viable peace process is dead for the present," Washington-based expert on Palestinian politics Nathan Brown told Gulf News.

Political forecasters pegged the results as a clear indication of a right shift in Israeli politics.

Israeli President Shimon Peres will be tasked to give either Livni or Netanyahu the opportunity to try to forge a coalition government and has a week to decide who will try first. The next few weeks are likely to keep Israel's government in political paralysis, as the selected candidate will try to build a governing coalition.

Although both Kadima and Likud declared victory Tuesday night, the deciding figure may very well be ultra-nationalist Avigdor Lieberman who will be a key force to form a successful coalition.

"The next few weeks will be a very complicated game, both candidates will try to form a majority - but they will also be trying to block the other from securing a majority. Worse, potential partners are hard to work with at the same time. Shas is religious while Lieberman's bloc is secular," Brown said.

As for the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, a cease-fire will inevitably be sidelined after the political stalemate.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said yesterday that the next Israeli government must restart peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

"I think if we continue in a crisis management mode, if we don't enter into a conflict resolution mode it will be going back and back again," Solana said.

France pressed Israel to stand by its peace commitments and halt colonisation in east Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the Arab press was overwhelmingly critical of an Israeli government led by Netanyahu. However, the general mood was one of indifference.

An editorial in Syria's Ath-Thawra daily said: "There's no difference between Livni and Netanyahu. Their coming to power will change nothing of the current realities."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, said he was not too worried. "In whatever form, the government, once in power, will ultimately end up with responsibility, pragmatism prevailing," he said.

With inputs from from agencies