By BATSHEVA TSUR

(May 24) - The red carpet was rolled out yesterday as Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak arrived at Beit Hanassi for lunch with President Ezer Weizman.

Under the system of direct elections, the president no longer confers the task of forming a government on the head of the largest faction in the Knesset, but Weizman clearly wanted to make his sense of relief at Barak's election felt.

The president walked out to meet Barak and the two hugged each other warmly. Then came a scene of a kind which never was witnessed under the previous government, given the bad blood between Weizman and outgoing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: Weizman placed his arm round Barak's shoulder and Barak diffidently responded with a similar embrace.

Standing before a large battery of media representatives, the two refused to answer questions on possible political developments, but Barak did say: "It seems to me that the president feels pleased. And I feel the same."

During lunch, which lasted more than an hour, they reaffirmed the necessity of healing the wounds within society and creating a spirit of unity in the nation.

Weizman heard from Barak how he plans to go about coalition negotiations, and they agreed to maintain a close working relationship.

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