Arab newspapers and Palestinians are expressing dissatisfaction and pessimism at Israel's election results, including fears that the government will become more right-wing.
A newspaper in Cairo, Egypt's Al-Ahram weekly, likened Israel's ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party leader, Avigdor Lieberman, to a fascist. He ran on an anti-Arab platform, and his party won a significant number of new seats in the parliament.
Editorials in Jordan's English-language Jordan Times and Syria's official Al-Thawra daily newspaper said it does not matter which of the leading candidates wins the election. They say there is little difference between Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu because neither will change realities on the ground.
That sentiment was echoed by some Palestinians.
France has called on Israel's current and future leaders to honor the nation's commitments to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, such as halting settlement building in east Jerusalem.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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