Attila Somfalvi
Photo: Gabi Menashe
Barak’s timing problem
If defense minister thinks Livni is so unworthy, why did he wait so long to say it?
Ehud Barak’s
contempt for Tzipi Livni
is deeply rooted. For months now, if not longer than that, Barak has been walking around with the sinking feeling that the foreign minister is no more than a “balloon” filled with hot air, a hesitant politician who lacks the knowledge needed to deal with the most fateful issues. Behind closed doors the Labor
party chairman refers to the woman who may replace Ehud Olmert
in about a month using rather unpleasant nicknames: “Political lightweight” is one of the kinder ones. Barak thinks Livni is a puppet used by PR masters Reuven Adler and Eyal Arad – empty of substance and uttering diplomatic declarations that make the defense minister nauseous. Yet he remained silent.
Barak’s problem, as always, is his timing. If he’s been thinking those things about Livni for such a long time, where has he been until now? Why was he silent and why did he keep such vital and dramatic information about the foreign minister from the public? If our deputy prime minister is empty of all substance, why did he sit on the sidelines and allowed this “balloon” to grow to such huge dimensions in the arena of public opinion? Doesn’t the national responsibility Barak has been frequently citing obligate him to warn us about the great “danger”? Wasn’t he bearing this responsibility on his shoulders a year ago, or six months ago, or even three months ago? And if Livni indeed poses such grave danger to Israel’s security, why doesn’t he announce unequivocally that he does not intend to be part of a Livni-led government, instead continuing to call for the establishment of an emergency unity government following Kadima’s
primaries?
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“As usual, he does everything too late,” a close associate of the Labor chairman said. “Now it appears as if he’s panicking because she’s doing well in the polls and he’s declining.” Barak was silent thus far, and for good reason. As long as his interests demanded that he cooperate with Livni, he maintained a low profile, and undermined Olmert along with her. Now that she’s leading in the polls, he’s screaming out that we can’t have a Tzipistan emerging around here. Not too long ago, Barak forced Kadima to hold the primaries. Now, he wants to decide the winner. This is a blatant case of crossing the line.
‘Barak is fed up’
A senior Labor party source who is close to Barak attempted to explain the Labor chairman’s scathing attack on the foreign minister, yet this explanation is also problematic, mostly because it doesn’t explain why Barak was silent thus far, and also raises questions regarding Barak’s decision-making style.
“Barak is fed up,” the source said. “He saw Livni giggling on Channel 2, and he just couldn’t remain silent any longer. He wanted to remain polite, but she started to lash out at him. He had to respond. His patience ran thin…her performance annoyed him. He’s sick and tired of Adler’s and Arad’s slogans, which he keeps on hearing around the government table.”
Barak has another problem. He’s convinced that there’s nobody like him, and that everyone around him is a non-existent dwarf. “He feels that everyone who’s supposed to take decisions is small next to him,” a senior Labor source said. “He feels he’s too great for them, and it frustrates him terribly.” Barak also thinks unflattering things about Shaul Mofaz, but he won’t say them publicly. After all, Shaul is not Tzipi – he and Barak served in the army for a long time. In any case, with Mofaz heading Kadima, Barak has a chance to win more Knesset seats.
So Barak is attacking Livni, thus completely de-legitimizing the prospect of civilian leadership in Israel. He creates the sense that people without heavy-duty military experience cannot manage this country.
It is too early to know how Barak’s outburst would be interpreted politically. Some believe that the attack on his main rival will be good for Barak. Finally, he’s coming back to life and ending the silence. Others shrugged their shoulders with frustration and complained about the pressure and panic Barak conveys in relation to Livni, in the middle of an elections campaign where Livni is leading.
When it comes to the effect on the foreign minister, there are also differing views: Some believe that Barak’s attack will enable her to open up a bigger lead on Mofaz. Those who are not sure who to vote for, about 30% of Kadima’s members, can now say: There you go, Barak is apparently truly concerned about Livni. Yet others think that Barak’s attack will wake up those who are fantasizing about a different kind of country under Livni’s leadership.
