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Barak's dependence on small parties. The Labor and Likud parties sustained a significant drop in support. Labor won 27 seats and Likud 19 seats, the poorest showing for both parties in several decades. "There has been a complete change in the political map," Hebrew University political scientist Avraham Diskin said. Some Labor Party leaders said they could envision a national unity government with a Likud Party that is not led by Netanyahu. "That is a different Likud," Knesset member Binyamin Ben Eliezer of the Labor Party said. U.S. President Bill Clinton telephoned both Barak and Netanyahu. He congratulated Barak upon his victory and told Netanyahu that he did important work. Clinton told Barak that the United States would provide all necessary support. Egyptian Hosni Mubarak also congratulated Barak. Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat said he hoped the peace process would be renewed. The third biggest party was the Orthodox Shas Party. Shas received 17 seats in the Knesset. "I thank God for giving us this," said Shas chairman Arye Deri, who was sentenced to four years in prison on corruption charges. Political analysts said Barak had two options to compose a coalition. One was to form a center-left coalition that contained Meretz, Shinui, the Workers Party, Yisrael B'Aliya and the Center Party. Another option was to form a center-right coalition that would include the Likud and Shas. Likud Defense Minister Moshe Arens called for a national unity government between Labor and Likud. "There is no alternative but to establish a national unity government," he told a television interview. But Likud parliamentarian Uzi Landau said the party should not be quick to make any decision. "The first thing we have to do is house-cleaning," he said. "The nationalist camp is 50 percent who is angry at us."
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