Israeli press split over vote

Right-wingers are in little doubt over the election

Israeli newspapers are less than enthusiastic in commentaries on the upcoming elections.

Right-wing dailies are calling all out to vote for Ariel Sharon, but the remaining press is fearful of the consequences of Mr Sharon's likely victory.

The country's largest-circulation daily Yediot Aharonot says Ehud Barak has miscalculated the mood of the voters since the last election.

Sharon: "dreary politician, retired general..."

"Barak became addicted to the illusion that it was not Netanyahu who lost the election, but rather that he himself won it."

"Hubris, the curse of arrogance, seems to be preordained."

"Await the Advent of Sharon," the title says.

Maariv has just had enough of the whole thing.

"For two months now, two dreary politicians, two retired generals, have been squabbling over the right to crash in front of a hostile Knesset in four days," a commentary there says.

There is no chance either new prime minister will survive to the next Knesset elections, it adds.

Haaretz heralds " The Revenge of the Disappointed" in its leader, but warns its readers against backing Sharon just "to punish Barak".

Israeli voters "want not only to punish the prime minister of Israel who led the peace process, but also the Palestinians who didn't respond to the Israeli initiative, choosing instead to continue with violent confrontation," the paper says.

But Sharon is not the answer, Haaretz says.

Sharon... has no political, social or economic programme that the public can weigh and decide upon

Haaretz

"It is impossible to reach the conclusion that Sharon is the fulfilment of the Israeli dream. The soft image with which his PR pros are trying to mantle him cannot hide the fact that he led Israel into the longest war in its history, or he lied to heads of state and the public, or his determined opposition to the peace agreements," the newspaper writes.

"The misleading slogan that Sharon will bring peace does not cover up the fact that he has no political, social or economic programme that the public can weigh and decide upon.

The paper warns that choosing Sharon would inevitably prolong the violent confrontation with the Palestinians.

The last thing the country needs now is someone who combines sometimes reckless instincts with a penchant for freelancing

The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post rejects Mr Barak as an unsuitable candidate but is also wary about Sharon. Voters will be torn, it says.

"The desire to punish Barak is not the only emotion that will waft over Tuesday's balloting; fear of the alternative will also run strong, even among some who vote for Ariel Sharon."

"What attracts some and scares many about Sharon is a long record of running roughshod over lines of authority, both in military and civilian capacities."

Freelancing

"The last thing the country needs now is someone who combines sometimes reckless instincts with a penchant for freelancing."

But hope might triumph over experience, The Jerusalem Post concluded.

All those who aspire to peace will support Ariel Sharon's candidacy for prime minister. God willing, he will bring true peace to the Jewish people and its state in the Land of Israel

Hatzofe

"On Tuesday, the public seems set to punish Barak, with the hope that Sharon's best military experience will come to the fore and his less promising ideas will be held in check."

The Hatzofe daily, backed by the National Religious Party, has no such doubts about Mr Sharon's methods.

"All those who aspire to peace will support Ariel Sharon's candidacy for prime minister. God willing, he will bring true peace to the Jewish people and its state in the Land of Israel," Hatzofe thundered.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.