Jerusalem
04 February 2009
Benjamin Netanyahu at the Herzliya Conference in Herzliya, 04 Feb 2009 |
Benjamin Netanyahu, at the age of 46, became Israel's youngest prime minister in 1996, and the first to be born after the creation of the state of Israel. His hawkish views resonated with many Israelis who were eager for a tough-talking leader, following a string of suicide bombings and other violence by Arabs against Jews. He was voted out of office in 1999.
Now, Netanyahu, a one-time furniture salesman known to Israelis by his nickname of Bibi, is riding on a new wave of support as many Israelis express frustration over the outgoing government's lack of progress in peace talks with the Palestinians, the continuing threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions, and with the outcome of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli in Ashkelon examines his car, damaged by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, 03 Feb 2009 |
Netanyahu visited the southern city of Ashkelon immediately after a rocket launched from Gaza hit there on February 3 - one week before election day. He said he would take a tougher stand against Hamas than the ruling centrist Kadima party has done.
A Palestinian walks through the rubble of destroyed houses in eastern Jebaliya, Gaza, 26 Jan 2009 |
It is the tough talk that is appealing to Israelis whose main concern in these elections is security.
His views on the status of Jerusalem - one of the key sticking points in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations - have been no less clear and uncompromising.
"For 3,000 years this place has been the capital of the Jewish people. For 2,000 years we have been struggling and praying to get back here and re-establish our sovereignty. We did not unite Jerusalem to leave it. We did not unite it to re-divide it. And the government of Likud will keep Jerusalem united under Israeli sovereignty," Netanyahu said.
Several Israeli settlements have been built in recent years and some now surround Palestinian towns (file photo) |
Netanyahu's record of delivering on his right-wing promises has not been perfect. He lost his 1999 re-election bid after angering his hardline supporters by agreeing to withdraw in stages from 13 percent of Israeli-occupied lands. His supporters at the time accused him of giving in for the sake of political ambition, although his administration never fulfilled the agreement.
If Netanyahu is elected, his ability to take pragmatic steps while retaining his right-wing following will be tested once again when it comes time to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu is promising to pursue the peace process and at the same time be tougher than Kadima has been in negotiations with the Palestinians. This strategy is likely to win the vote of those in Israel who are seeking change.