ABSTRACT
The first transition of power occurred in 1977 when Likud took control of the government from Labor; the second took place in 1992 when Labor regained political domination. Several factors contributed to the second transition, including social realignment of certain groups, economic conditions, a change in society's value systems, and external events—including three wars. Sephardi disenchantment with Labor had been growing since 1960s, and support for the Likud had increased steadily. As Sephardis became more politically sophisticated, they resented what they perceived to be Labor's paternalism. The failure of Likud to achieve the economic goals promised in the 1977 campaign had little effect on most of its supporters. The perceived unity that so often characterized Jewish society in Israel during the 1950s and 1960s seemed to erode in many circles at the beginning of 1990s. Three principal events contributed to the erosion process: the 1982 war in Lebanon, the four years of the intifada, and the 1991-1992 Gulf War.
