What role did the second intifada play in Ariel Sharon’s election as prime minister?

The second intifada played a decisive role in Ariel Sharon’s election as prime minister by undermining public confidence in his predecessor, Ehud Barak.12

In September 2000, Sharon visited the Temple Mount to assert Israeli sovereignty over the site, an act viewed by Palestinians as a provocation that ignited widespread violence, known as the second or "Al-Aqsa" intifada. As the conflict escalated and peace negotiations stalled, many Israelis became disillusioned with Barak’s inability to either secure a peace agreement or effectively stem the rising violence.1342

The failure of the Camp David summit and the subsequent outbreak of the intifada convinced a majority of the Israeli electorate that they lacked a viable partner for peace in Yasser Arafat. Consequently, in the February 2001 elections, voters turned away from Barak and elected Sharon by a margin of nearly 25 percent.2