One odd fact has hung over the violence that has descended upon the Middle East: The current Israeli government is more committed to a peaceful settlement than any that might replace it. Prime Minister Ehud Barak genuinely wants to make peace. The question is whether the Israeli people are behind him. The details of his offer at Camp David surprised many Israelis, but that does not mean they would not back a deal. His decision to call snap polls will test their resolve: The country's commitment to a fair and equitable peace with the Palestinian people, and the prospect of enduring peace in the region, hang in the balance.
Mr. Barak called the election this week as his government lost its majority in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and faced a no-confidence vote that it would have lost. Instead, the prime minister has left his fate to the Israeli people. That is a gamble.
Although Mr. Barak came to power in a landslide win 18 months ago, his record in office is unimpressive. He withdrew Israeli troops from Lebanon as promised, but that is the only campaign pledge he kept. He did not make peace with Syria and the Palestinians within 18 months. The uprising of the last two months is the worst in decades and there is the danger of a resurgence of terrorism that brought his predecessor, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, to power. There is little hope of a ceasefire.