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Barak Tries to Coax Israeli Arabs to Polls as Vote Nears
Trailing badly in polls two days before elections, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday tried to keep a key constituency, Israeli Arabs, from sitting out Tuesday's vote.
At a Cabinet meeting Sunday, Barak offered a brief statement of sympathy for Arab citizens killed during four months of clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians. The violence has withered the chances for a peace agreement that Barak won a mandate to seek in 1999.
"As prime minister, I take responsibility for all that happens in this country, including the events when 13 Israeli Arabs were killed," said Barak. "In the name of the government and myself, I express my deep sadness for the death of the Arab citizens."
Meanwhile, a top ally of Likud leader Ariel Sharon tried to reassure Israelis that the former defense minister would continue to pursue talks with the Palestinians if he won Tuesday's vote.
Israeli Arabs represent 12 percent to 13 percent of Israeli voters and have supported Barak heavily in the past, but they are threatening to boycott Tuesday's election. Arab voters have expressed dissatisfaction at Barak's handing of the current round of violence and his slowness to express regret over the killing of Arab Israelis during the conflict.
Labor Party candidate Barak already is trailing Sharon by up to 20 percentage points in some polls, and Sharon got a boost Sunday when rabbis from two Ultra-Orthodox religious parties urged their members to vote for him.
The Shas Party and the Council of Torah Sages, both of whom have had trouble striking deals with Barak on narrow issues of interest to them, endorsed Sharon, although the Torah Sages did not mention Sharon by name.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews represent 8 percent of Israeli voters and normally follow the direction of their rabbis. The Torah Sages have been pressing Sharon to agree to the extension of a law giving religious students military deferments, but Sharon said he had not made any deals with the group.
"I have not and will not sign agreement with parties before the elections," he said, adding that he was "glad to get support from any sector of society."
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