THE HARDLINE Likud leader, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, was yesterday formally confirmed as Israel's prime minister elect. He defeated the Labour Party's incumbent, Mr Shimon Peres, by 0.9 per cent in the battle to lead Israel, thus plunging the Middle East peace process into uncertainty.
Within minutes of the formal announcement by the Central Elections Committee, Mr Peres was on the phone to the man who vanquished him, congratulating him and wishing him luck.
The prime minister in waiting, the ninth and at 46 the youngest leader in the state's history, praised Mr Peres's contribution to Israel and assured him he shared his aspirations for peace.
Next to call was President Clinton, undoubtedly dismayed by the outcome, but congratulating Mr Netanyahu on having won "a fair fight". He immediately sought to influence his first steps in power by inviting him to Washington.
Mr Netanyahu made two calls of his own to the heads of the two Arab states with which Israel has full peace treaties, Egypt and Jordan. President Hosni Mubarak and King Hussein both congratulated him, but the Jordanian monarch was the more effusive, reportedly describing Mr Netanyahu as "a good neighbour and a good friend".
In all his conversations Mr Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to the peace process begun by the outgoing Labour government.
However, he chose not to contact the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, the key partner in the most crucial element of that process, the phased Israeli Palestinian accords. Instead, he had one of his aides, Mr Dore Gold, telephone Mr Arafat's deputy, Mr Abu Mazen, to pledge the new Israeli government's desire to reach a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.
The Likud leader, who made no public statement of victory, instead celebrating his success with a prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, Judaism's holiest site.
The Hamas Islamic militants, whose suicide bombings in Israel this spring paved the way for Mr Netanyahu's victory in Wednesday's elections, have described his win as "a declaration of war on the Palestinians".
Mr Arafat has been more circumspect and is to make a formal comment after his weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza today.
Privately he is deeply worried by the coming to power of a man who has constantly criticised the peace process and who has indicated that he will not honour the Peres government's commitment to the Israeli pullout from Hebron.
Mr Netanyahu has constantly expressed deep reluctance to meet Mr Arafat, and used footage of Mr Arafat and Mr Peres hand in hand as a centrepiece of his nightly election ads before polling day, with a caption reading. "This partnership is a danger to Israel".