Olmert Declares Victory in Israel Election

[Devlzown]

JERUSALEM - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared victory for his centrist Kadima party in
Israel's elections Tuesday, vowing to act on his own if necessary to draw Israel's final borders and "painfully" uproot Jewish settlers if negotiations with the Palestinians are not possible.

Standing below a massive portrait of his mentor
Ariel Sharon, Olmert addressed chanting Kadima members as it became clear the party had won enough seats in parliament to form a ruling coalition.

Building on the vision of Sharon, who formed the party shortly before succumbing to a devastating stroke that left him in a coma, Olmert claimed a mandate to withdraw from much of the
West Bank and set Israel's borders, which he has said he will do by 2010. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_elections

[regnaD kciN]

1. Give Israeli voters some credit...

...after the Hamas win in January, I was expecting them to panic (you know, like we did after 9/11) and rush back to Netanyahu and the Likud. Instead, the center and left-wing parties carried the day, and Likud sank to become only the second-largest right-wing party. (They were supplanted on the right by an immigrant's party headed by a politician named -- get this -- Lieberman. ;-) )