News stories by Pierre Klochendler, page 26

Along the ironic lines of 'Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum', the old Broadway musical about democracy in ancient times, something 'funny' happened to Israelis on their way to the polling stations.

And then there were four.

Just over a week before they go to the polls, Israelis are in a grim mood. The gloom is fed by the leading candidates, all of whom are seeking to outdo one another in sombre assessment of the challenges that lie ahead.

At the start of his Middle East presidential mission, Senator George Mitchell has listened to President Barack Obama's recommendation earlier in the week on Al-Arabiya television that he 'should start by listening, because ultimately we cannot tell Israelis and Palestinians what's best for them.'

The new U.S. President was as good as his word. Within 48 hours of taking the helm, Barack Obama declared it 'will be the policy of my Administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as Israel and its Arab neighbours.'

In his inauguration address Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama made no direct reference to Israel's three-week campaign in Gaza; nor did he mention the urgency of addressing the old bugbear of international relations - how successfully to forge a Palestinian-Israel peace.

Europe now evidently understands what the U.S. has long understood - if you want to move Israelis on peace, you need to make them feel secure.

'If only my three daughters will be the last victims of this horrible conflict,' wept Dr. Ezzadin Abu Al-Aish, a Palestinian gynaecologist recovering from his wounds in Tel Aviv's Tel Hashomer hospital. An Israeli tank shell killed three of his nine children aged 20, 15 and 14 as well as a 14-year-old niece in their home in the Jebaliya refugee camp Saturday. Israel says its forces were responding to sniper fire.

'The war isn't yet over, but it's the beginning of the final chapter,' said Eytan Ben-Eliyahu, former Israeli air force chief, on Israel Television Wednesday night. 'This is the crunch moment,' he added.

The war on Gaza is widening. Not so much on the battleground inside Gaza as inside Israeli society. The Israeli army continues the battering of Hamas, but on another front Israelis are firing on their own democracy -- and from within the very halls of democracy itself.