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Israel's Political History
1996-1999
Netanyahu won the 1996 election by fewer than 30,000 votes but managed to form a well-based coalition with the religious parties, and without Labor. Under Netanyahu, two additional accords were signed with the Palestinians: the Hebron Agreement in January 1997 and the Wye River Memorandum of October 1998.
 In the economic sphere, the policy of liberalization continued, but high interest rates set by the Bank of Israel coupled with a Treasury policy of financial restraint led to economic recession.
Due to a number of personal problems, several senior ministers quit Netanyahu's cabinet. His government was also dogged by the objections of right-wing partners to Israel's preliminary agreement to pull the IDF out of more of the West Bank under the Wye River accord. The crisis delayed passage of the 1999 fiscal budget and led to a Knesset vote to dissolve itself, and call new elections for May 1999, a year earlier than scheduled.
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