Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was virtually catatonic as he gazed at the TV screen, learning for the first time the results of exit polls that accurately predicted his Likud party's drubbing in national elections last week. The rival Labor Party took 44 of the 120 Knesset seats (vs. 39 in the previous parliament), Likud a pitiful 32 (vs. 40) -- its worst performance since the party's first outing, in 1973. The poor showing prompted Shamir to announce he would retire from politics soon, setting the stage for a fierce battle for the Likud leadership. One contender, Defense Minister Moshe Arens, bowed...
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