MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) said today that the Prime Minister must decide immediately whether he wants war or new elections. Hendel expressed confidence that in new elections, \"the nation will certainly vote for a leadership that will provide real security.\" This was a veiled hint that the recent abolition of the direct election of the Prime Minister may lead to surprising results. Under the new system, the leader of the largest party is charged with forming a government - but he is no longer guaranteed to come from either the Likud or Labor. Of the three largest political parties, both Labor and Shas are currently expected to receive less than their 20 and 17 seats, respectively, while the Likud, with 19 Knesset seats, is expected to face stiff opposition from more right-wing parties.



The Professors for a Strong Israel organization made a similar demand: The Prime Minister must either call new elections, or he must immediately declare war on the PA, expel \"the Palestinian occupation army,\" remove all vestiges of the Authority from Israel, withdraw absolutely any idea of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, and continue until a clear and decisive military outcome. The group also called upon Sharon to \"convene a Government of National Emergency, composed exclusively of ministers who support these ends. A state of emergency must be declared with decrees that forbid the entry of terrorists of all ranks into the state; that remove their immunity; and that prevent citizens in any capacity from carrying on negotiations, interviews, or any other contact with terrorists.\"