Europe Fearful About Impact Of Israeli Elections

[Purveyor]

By GREGORY KATZ – 48 minutes ago

LONDON (AP) — As the two leading candidates in Israel's election continued to claim victory, many Europeans expressed fear Wednesday that the shaky peace process was the real loser in the nearly deadlocked vote.

With an ultranationalist in the role of kingmaker, many were predicting that the hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu would eventually prevail over the moderate Tzipi Livni — hardening the government's stance in already stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The ambiguous election results threaten President Barack Obama's desire to make a peace deal an urgent priority, as signaled by his appointment of veteran negotiator Sen. George Mitchell as special envoy, European politicians and commentators said.

Andrew Gwynne, a Labour Party legislator in Britain who chairs a pro-Israeli group, said he was disappointed by the results, which he said are likely to bring Netanyahu's rightwing Likud Party back to power.

"That seems the most realistic outcome, sadly, although I would like to see a progressive government committed to the peace process," said Gwynne, chairman of Labour Friends of Israel.

MORE...

AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioFtVX3H14bfn1x9sqfjPIFErUOQD969FLCO1