The Israeli Labor Party And the Lebanon War

Abstract

This article addresses the role of a party in opposition during wartime, focusing on the style and determinants of the Israeli Labor party's criticism of the Lebanon war. The party adopted an ambiguous strategy and refrained from outright disapproval. The reasons for its ambiguity were grounded in the divisions within the government, the opposition party, and the public at large. Through its critical war stance, Labor sought to highlight the intragovernmental dissent, gain electoral rewards, and mobilize the support of antiwar groups. Labor refrained from criticism because its own leadership was split over the issue; it was exposed to the pressures of prowar groups; and it was responding to a prowar public mood.