Parliamentary Elections in Israel

With elections recently being held first in Palestine and then in Israel, the peace-process also seems to be at a new crossroads. The electoral victory of Hamas that is still considered  to be a radical organization by many countries around the world put the hopes of finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem on hold, at least for the near future. However, the Israeli elections and the electoral victory of Kadima Party that advocates for a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank re-brought the prospects for reaching a solution into consideration. Now the main issue at hand is to what extent the new Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be succesful in implementing the important steps initiated by Ariel Sharon last summer.