The Likud Party of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won a crushing victory in Israel's general election held earlier this week. Although the scale of the win raised some eyebrows, Likud's strong showing was expected: The chief opposition, the left-leaning Labor Party, has been unable to generate much enthusiasm despite -- or perhaps because of -- a new leader, Mr. Amram Mitzna, a former mayor of Haifa.
The results do not hold out promise of progress in the violent confrontation with the Palestinians. Mr. Sharon has shown no inclination to deal. And even if he did, Israeli politics is still too divided to permit a bold overture to the Palestinians.
This week's vote was Israel's fourth national election in seven years. No Israeli government has served a full four-year term since 1988. Mr. Sharon's own coalition survived for less than half that period. With the country in the grips of the worst recession in its history and mired in a 28-month Palestinian intifada that has no end in sight, most electorates would have opted for change. But in Israel, resignation prevailed over anger. One sign of the malaise was evident in voter turnout, which, at 68.5 percent, was the worst in Israel's history.