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CNN Live At Daybreak

Israel Votes: Likud Party Maintains Dominance

Aired January 29, 2003 - 06:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about Israel for a little bit now. The political landscape in the Middle East looks very familiar this morning with Ariel Sharon's Likud Party easily maintaining dominance in the Israeli Knesset. The prime minister is spinning this victory as a referendum on his hard line policies toward the Palestinians. The question now is whether he can forge that into a coalition government.
For some insight, we turn to CNN's Kelly Wallace who's live in Tel Aviv -- good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Carol.

Well Ariel Sharon and his Likud Party certainly have a lot to celebrate about. Just take a look at the headline in the "Jerusalem Post," Sharon leads Likud to landslide. But the prime minister and his party can't really spend too much time celebrating because they face an enormous challenge, trying to put together a coalition government that will not tie the prime minister's hands and will not anger the Bush administration.

Ariel Sharon got right to that challenge in the early morning hours. In his victory speech he called for a national unity government. The prime minister needs the support of 61 members in the 120 member Knesset to govern. He knows he could reach out to the right wing and religious parties to form a coalition, but he knows if he does that those parties would prevent him from taking steps when it comes to the roadmap for Middle East peace, something most people here in this region believe the Bush administration will put a renewed focus on after any possible military action in Iraq.

The big problem for the prime minister is Amram Mitzna. The Labor Party leader is saying that under no circumstances will he allow the Labor Party to join any Sharon-led coalition government.

Another big story of this election, the stunning defeat for the Labor Party. The party that founded the state of Israel had its worst election showing ever. So there's a lot of attention now on the party, the strategy ahead and the future of its leader. Lots of questions, Carol, about what the Labor Party will do in the end and again, how Ariel Sharon will put together a coalition that will allow him to govern the way he says he wants to -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kelly Wallace live from Tel Aviv this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Aired January 29, 2003 - 06:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about Israel for a little bit now. The political landscape in the Middle East looks very familiar this morning with Ariel Sharon's Likud Party easily maintaining dominance in the Israeli Knesset. The prime minister is spinning this victory as a referendum on his hard line policies toward the Palestinians. The question now is whether he can forge that into a coalition government.
For some insight, we turn to CNN's Kelly Wallace who's live in Tel Aviv -- good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again, Carol.

Well Ariel Sharon and his Likud Party certainly have a lot to celebrate about. Just take a look at the headline in the "Jerusalem Post," Sharon leads Likud to landslide. But the prime minister and his party can't really spend too much time celebrating because they face an enormous challenge, trying to put together a coalition government that will not tie the prime minister's hands and will not anger the Bush administration.

Ariel Sharon got right to that challenge in the early morning hours. In his victory speech he called for a national unity government. The prime minister needs the support of 61 members in the 120 member Knesset to govern. He knows he could reach out to the right wing and religious parties to form a coalition, but he knows if he does that those parties would prevent him from taking steps when it comes to the roadmap for Middle East peace, something most people here in this region believe the Bush administration will put a renewed focus on after any possible military action in Iraq.

The big problem for the prime minister is Amram Mitzna. The Labor Party leader is saying that under no circumstances will he allow the Labor Party to join any Sharon-led coalition government.

Another big story of this election, the stunning defeat for the Labor Party. The party that founded the state of Israel had its worst election showing ever. So there's a lot of attention now on the party, the strategy ahead and the future of its leader. Lots of questions, Carol, about what the Labor Party will do in the end and again, how Ariel Sharon will put together a coalition that will allow him to govern the way he says he wants to -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kelly Wallace live from Tel Aviv this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com