On the first anniversary of Benjamin Netanyahu's victory as Israeli Prime Minister, most of his countrymen find little to celebrate. The Likud party leader had promised to continue the peace process begun by the previous Labour government, but to do so more cautiously. 'A secure peace,' was the slogan that brought him victory. One year later, the peace process is frozen and security appears to be a tenuous condition as Arab frustrations mount towards breaking point. Polls show that most Israelis give Mr Netanyahu poor marks for his performance during his first year. The polls also show, however, that he would probably win again if elections were held today. The Labour Party, which will only next week choose a leader to replace Shimon Peres, has not yet managed to present itself to the public as a viable alternative. The year has been marked for Mr Netanyahu by a series of political crises at home and an unravelling of Israel's promising relations with the Arab world. In both cases, his personal style was a central factor. Impetuous or simply arrogant, he shunned an orderly decision-making apparatus that could have balanced his inexperience and exaggerated self-confidence with wise counsel. His decision last September to open an archaeological tunnel in Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter typified his attitude. 'We are sovereign in Jerusalem,' he said, adding 'I was elected by the Jews, not the Arabs.' More than 70 Jews and Arabs died in the riots that followed. There was a brief period early this year when it seemed that Mr Netanyahu was indeed capable of moving the peace process forward in a way that Labour could not. After protracted negotiations, he agreed to pull Israeli troops out of most of the West Bank city of Hebron. Whether the trials of his first year in office have armed him with the political maturity needed by a peacemaker remains a major question.
