Israel: Can We Change? Maybe

As United States President-elect Barack Obama prepares his inaugural speech and builds his dream-team whose task will be to fulfil campaign promises for change, Israel is bracing itself for another bruising election campaign. To argue that these elections are crucial is no more than a cliché – they have all been important. These are no exception, yet they take place when negotiations with both Syria and the Palestinians are stalled; after a prolonged period of growth, the economy is slowing down in response to the global economic crisis; corruption stories frequently hit the headlines, and the war of words with Iran is becoming more intense.