The elections for Prime Minister held on February 6, 2001, were marked by the lowest voter turnout in Israeli history - 62%. The failure of so many voters to arrive at the ballots, breaking the Israeli tradition of a high voter turnout, was a manifestation of widespread opposition to the policies of both candidates contesting these elections, the incumbent Ehud Barak as well as his challenger Ariel Sharon, and to the two political blocs headed by these candidates. It also showed that the system of direct elections for PM, introduced in 1996, is a failure and must be abolished as soon as possible.

The candidate of the right, Ariel Sharon, utilized to the full the general disappointment with the Barak Government, achieving an electoral victory with a 25% lead over the outgoing Prime Minister. Still, it should be noted that only a small part of the so-called "center voters" who had supported Barak in 1999 this time shifted their vote to Sharon. Rather, a large part of the former Barak voters chose not to participate in these elections - to which should be added a smaller part which arrived at the polls only to express their protest by casting blank ballots.

The vote was mainly a protest at Barak's policies, rather than a vote of support for Sharon, who throughout the elections made a deliberate effort to blur his real positions and avoid any discussion of his past deeds.

The overwhelming majority of the Arab population in Israel did not take part in the elections, thereby expressing its protest against and disgust of the outgoing PM's policies. Barak, who in the previous elections got the votes of some 95% of the Arab population, did not hesitate to order the security forces to open fire, kill 13 of this population and wound hundreds of others - which none of his predecessors for several decades dared to do. Moreover, the policy of discrimination against the Arab population in all spheres of life continued unabated under Barak . In addition, Barak was directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of Palestinians and the wounding of thousands in the Occupied Territories, carnage at a scale unprecedented throughout all the years of the occupation. For all these reasons and additional ones enumerated in our statement of January 23, the overwhelming majority of the Arab population did not take part in these elections - and of those who did participate, a high percentage manifested their protest by casting a blank ballot. The same protest was shared also by thousands of Jewish supporters of the consistent peace camp. It was a legitimate and justified protest, which will be remembered and must be taken into account by any future prime minister considering a similar course.

In this context, we firmly reject the criticism made by some leaders of the Zionist "Left" against the Israeli Arabs, who rejected the demand of these leaders to vote for Barak. We reject the arrogant and patronizing attitude manifested by some of those who pretend to lead the peace camp.

The creation of a "national unity" cabinet means a grave setback for the chances of furthering a peace agreement in our region, and it greatly increases the danger of a widespread military conflagration. By joining the Sharon Government, Barak and the Labor Party effectively gave up the option of conducting serious negotiations on a permanent agreement with the Palestinians - an option which until a few days was, at least verbally, their main aim.

The Israeli Communist Forum is certain that the Palestinian people will continue to stand fast in defense of their rights, also under the new conditions. As they did not surrender under the cruel and unprecedented measures of oppression implemented by the Barak Government, so they will not bend under the coming oppression of the "unity" government. It should be noted that the first Intifada was mostly conducted against an earlier "unity" government which did not succeed in breaking the heroic struggle, in whose wake the Palestinian people won a whole series of important achievements. Also the now-formed "national unity" government would prove unable to break this just struggle, which will go on until the Arab Palestinian people implement their national rights - the creation of their independent state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, within the borders of June 1967, and a just solution of the Palestinian Refugee Problem on the basis of relevant UN resolutions.

No force exists which is capable of completely preventing the achievement of this aim - but the delay in achieving it may cost enormous bloodshed among both peoples. Therefore, in the post-elections situation the Israeli Communist Forum regards it as more important then ever to increase the struggle of the Arab population and of all Jewish peace forces, a struggle against occupation and oppression and for the equality of rights of the Arab population - a struggle for which a maximum of cooperation must be built up.

The new situation also urgently requires a restructuring of the true peace forces. Undertaking this task falls to those who successfully confronted the challenges of the past period, and who are capable of creating the new organizational structures needed to withstand the grave new dangers posed by the "unity" government.