Peretz to meet with American poll guru
Stanley Greenberg, who led former PM Barak to overwhelming elections victory six years ago, is back; meanwhile, Labor leader’s daughter, known as his good luck charm, returns from Britain to help father
The poll guru is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days in order to look into the possibility of joining forces with Peretz. Meanwhile, negotiations continue with strategic adviser Motti Morel, after it appeared his services were no longer desired by Labor’s leader. However, senior party figures say a deal that would see the two figures cooperating again is facing obstacles, particularly in terms of finances.
Should Peretz be able to acquire Greenberg’s services, he would be adding a definite asset to his team. The American adviser, who served as the owner of a successful research and consultation institute in Washington, was former American President Bill Clinton’s pollster in 1992 and also worked with Presidents Nelson Mandela in South Africa and Gerhard Schroeder in Germany, as well as with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Greenberg’s services were hired by Ehud Barak in September 1997 along with two other American advisers, James Carville and Robert Shrum.
Peretz’s daughter returns from London
Greenberg, in almost every case, has bet on the winning horse and is known as someone who marks the target and decisively advances towards it.
In 1999 he had known for certain what was about to materialize on the eve of the elections. According to reports, he and his advisers took an earlier flight back to the United States after realizing that victory was in their pocket.
Immediately after Barak was elected, Greenberg was asked in an interview with Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth whether he would have also worked for Likud candidate Benjamin Netanyahu.
Never, he said, stressing that he only worked with productive candidates, center and left-wing people, not with reactionary people.
Also on Monday, Peretz received reinforcement from his family when his daughter Shani returned to Israel from London in order to assist in his election campaign. Shani, who is considered to be Peretz's good luck charm, took a break from her acting studies in favor of the campaign.
