February 5, 2009. Copyright 2009, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Ehud Barak: one last shot for the soldier
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, February 5, Graphic News:  As the architect of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, Ehud Barak could risk becoming the victim of his own success. Despite being condemned as excessively harsh outside Israel, the campaign remains broadly popular among Israelis who -- on February 10 -- may get to choose between keeping Barak as defence tsar and promoting him to prime minister.

The campaign may have bolstered his personal ratings but it has also confirmed the view that Barak, Israel's most decorated soldier, is the best man for the defence role. This does not help Barak, whose Labor party is languishing in third place behind right-wing Likud and centrist Kadima, to achieve his long-held dream of a second crack at being prime minister.

Barak's tenure (1999-2001) ended with the second Palestinian intifada following the collapse of U.S.-led peace talks. Barak, a brilliant military strategist, apparently lacked the patience to strike a lasting deal with the Palestinians. As premier, he ordered the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Lebanon in 2000, a move that was criticised after the 2006 war.

After returning to politics as defence minister in 2007, he opted for a straightforward approach to militant Hamas, and the Gaza offensive has boosted Labor's chances of a role in any new ruling coalition. It's unclear whether that would satisfy the fiercely driven Barak – nicknamed "Napoleon" by his friends -- who has been frustrated by his inability to replicate in politics his extraordinary success as a soldier.

Born on February 12, 1942, he joined the army at 17 and was a commander by 28. Among the many examples of his derring-do is the 1976 incident in which, dressed as a woman, he infiltrated a group of militants and killed three Palestinians who were allegedly behind the murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

Acknowledging his past shortcomings in 2007 Barak promised that he had changed, but -- in a nation that is perpetually at war -- many people would probably prefer him to stick to what he is good at.
/ENDS