World News 29-11-2000 Barak Buys Time For Peace who: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak what: Calls for early general election where: Israel when: Yesterday snippet: "Ehud Barak, Israel`s beleaguered Prime Minister, announced last night that he was calling a general election after only 18 months in office," reports The Independent. "Barak was elected in May 1999 for a four-year term but has been under a barrage of criticism over his handling of peace talks with the Palestinians," says ITN, "and a two-month-old uprising by protesters demanding independence." "You want elections. I am ready for elections," he told the Isreali parliament, the Knesset, in a televised speech. "General elections for prime minister and the Knesset. The date will be decided in the coming days in coordination between parties." "In doing so he managed to buy himself time to try to settle the bloody conflict with the Palestinians by achieving a peace accord which half the country still believes is possible," comments Sam Kiley in The Times. "Mr Barak`s move was clearly aimed at heading off any more humiliation, which began when his coalition fell apart during the July Camp David summit with the Palestinians". "Barak`s final throw of the dice cuts the legs from under hardline opposition leader Ariel Sharon, who opposes compromises with the Palestinians," says The Express. "It also makes it unlikely that he will have to face former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the darling of the Israeli Right who has recently been plotting a return to the political trenches on a wave of public popularity". [... more]

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