Ehud Barak - Labor

Ehud Barak was a protege of the late Yitzhak Rabin, who was also Chief of Staff before entering politics. He was seen as donning Rabin's mantle when he defeated Shimon Peres in the party leadership contest which followed Peres and Labor's defeat in the 1996 elections.

As Chief of Staff, Barak advocated a smaller, more sophisticated army, but as Labor leader he has found it difficult to stamp his authority on the party and modernize it. He is a great admirer of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and sees Blair's New Labor as a model to imitate. In general, Barak hopes the European trend towards left of center parties will extend to Israel as well.

Apology

Barak portrays himself as a winner. He is wont to say he has never lost a battle. He sees his way to power as depending on, among other things, breaking Israeli voting patterns, in which, broadly speaking, Sephardim vote Likud and Ashkenazim vote Labor. His most dramatic move in this regard was his apology to the communities of North African and Eastern origin for the insensitive treatment they received from Labor's forebears, who were in power during the period of mass immigration by these communities in the 1950s. He has also tried to appeal to Russian immigrants suspicious of any party that wears socialist colors.

Aware that Labor's axiomatic rejection by these sections could wreck his chances of becoming prime minister, Barak has set up a political grouping called 'One Israel', and has tried to entice leaders such as David Levy, whose Gesher party largely derives its support from Jews of North African origin, to join it.

Question marks

Those who know Barak describe him as intelligent and cultured, a fluent talker who dominates conversation. Barak's public performances, however, tend to be wooden and unconvincing, and he has rarely managed to set the agenda of public debate. He has also been handicapped by question marks over his conduct in a fatal army training accident at Tzelim base when he was Chief of Staff, and allegations of a subsequent cover-up.

"Us here, them there"

"Us here and them there" is Barak's formula for peace with the Palestinians, indicating complete territorial separation, but he has also made promises about preserving at least some West Bank settlements. He says he believes the peace process is vital to Israel's economic future, and that, as a tiny country with no natural resources other than its people's talents, Israel must adapt itself to the imperatives of the modern global economy, while finding the correct balance between these and the need, again as a small country, to preserve social solidarity.

On matters of religion and state, Barak's clearest statement has been his bill to end wholesale exemption from army duty for ultra-orthodox men. While this stance probably does stem from conviction, it is also a matter of political calculation. The ultra-orthodox vote now goes almost automatically to the political right, so Barak may as well gain what mileage he can by appealing to the many Israelis who resent the current arrangement. On the other hand, Barak is at pains not to appear anti-religious, and likes to make mention of his rabbinic ancestry.

Party disaffection

Barak's failure for a long period to make a real impact, or establish a clear lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in opinion polls, even in the latter's worst moments, led to ferment against his leadership within his party. Shimon Peres has been a constant agitator. One important asset Barak possesses, though, is his military background, which makes people more likely to trust him on security issues than they did Peres.

After Labor's feeble performance in the last election campaign, much will now depend on Barak's ability to galvanize the party's rank and file, and keep its generals solidly behind him.

Published by Israel's Business Arena on February 17, 1999